Better Than You
by Jadeswolf
Summary: Gary and Jaden have always been best friends since they were kids. Now, both 16, they're asked by Prof. Oak to go on a Pokemon journey together. Follow them through the dangers of the Kanto Region. Will they still be friends? Or something more? GaryxOC
1. I Choose You

**A/N: Hey, this is the first story I've ever published! I've had this idea for awhile now but I've only just recently started to get down and type it up. In a nutshell, it will be a Gary x OC story which follows the game version of Kanto (LeafGreen/FireRed) from start to finish with a lot of twisted events. :D Except that Pokemon from all regions are available. **

**I've made the age limit to start a Pokemon journey to the late teens, but that doesn't mean there won't be little kiddies to battle along the way. :) Jaden is Leaf but with a different name. **

**I hope you all enjoy it! Reviews are immensely appreciated. :)**

**Summary: Gary and Jaden have always been best friends since they were kids. Now, both 16, they're asked by Prof. Oak to go on a Pokemon journey together. Can they both still be friends, or will the need to be rivals overpower it? Gary x Leaf/Jaden. **

**Gary x OC (Leaf) story. Rated T for swearing and violence. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; all characters (Minus Jaden) belong to Nintendo. **

**Better Than You**

**- Chapter 1 - **

**- ****I Choose You -**

I pushed the heavy metal doors of the Pallet Town lab open, seeking solace from the boiling sun outside. The Professor's aides were buzzing around filling out paperwork and typing data into computer keyboards. I strolled past ceiling high bookcases, all data on each type of Pokémon; what they look like, their life span, their battle moves, weaknesses etc. The floor and walls were bathed a shiny white.

I had known the Professor since I was a baby; he was a very kind man to everyone. His grandchildren, Gary Oak and Daisy Oak, lived next door to me and my mum. We've all been friends for years; more so Gary than Daisy as he was the same age as me whereas Daisy was 5 years older than both of us.

My blue eyes focused in on Gary, who was pacing around with his arms crossed over his chest. He had a black sleeveless shirt on, combined with dark brown pants. His purple terrycloth wristbands adorned his wrists and his brown hair was spiked up as per usual. His light viridian eyes drifted in my direction, a small smirk growing on his lips.

"Gramps called you here too? Well too bad, he isn't around," Gary said in a nonchalant way, returning to his pacing.

"Oh I see," I murmured, disappointment lacing in my voice. "Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, he's under the floorboard which is why I'm pacing here waiting for him," Gary snorted sarcastically. He had been quite sarcastic and… well just annoying for the past few days. Must be the heat.

"Alright then, I'll go see if I can find him," I sighed, turning around and making my way back outside into the burning sun.

Where the hell did Professor Oak go? Pallet was a small town; not exactly many places to hide. I made my way down to the small river we had at the bottom of our town but a white picket fence was the barrier to going further and the alternate option was to surf upon the water. Ruling out that idea almost immediately, I made my way to the north side of the town.

I passed a few houses and some flowerbeds of crimson flowers blowing gently in the world. I was thankful I chose to wear my white hat today or I'd be blinded by the looming sun, and sunburn on my face was the last thing I wanted. I caught sight of the small, narrow exit surrounded by trees and bushes up ahead. Surely it's worth taking a look? I knew it was a bad idea; the townsfolk always warned against going there, due to wild Pokémon. Well… it wouldn't take long to look for the Professor; just a quick peek and then I'll come back and no one would be any the wiser. Gathering my confidence, I began to step forward in the tall grass, the blades brushing against my bare legs.

"Waaaaaaaait!" a voice wailed out behind me, causing me to jump out my skin. I swirled around, expecting some lunatic to run and tell me it's not safe, blah, and blah. I've never had a Pokémon before or even seen one in person. Sure, I'd watched them in the league tournaments on TV and I had a million books to read from the lab but never in person. No fishing rods, no exploring outside of town. If it weren't for Gary then I think I'd have gone crazy.

Squinting at the rapidly approaching figure, I recognized a white lab coat swirling out behind them. My mouth hung open in surprise; it was Professor Oak! Seeing as he ran from town, I concluded he had already been in town. Damn, I must have just missed him.

"It's unsafe out there! You don't have a Pokémon to protect you from the wild Pokémon! Jaden, please come with me," he exclaimed loudly before grabbing my wrist and jerking me to follow him back to his lab. I had to roll my eyes at his comment; I had heard that a million times but I couldn't grasp what the danger was.

"P-Professor, where have you been? Me and Gary have been looking for you," I managed to say, our pace slowing down a tad as we neared the huge white building. "What did you want us for?"

"All in good time, I will explain everything when we get to the lab."

- 3 Minutes Later -

We burst through the double doors, making the aides jump with surprise as the loud noise of the door swung on its hinges. Gary's head snapped up at the sight of his grandpa and me swiftly making our way toward him. The Professor released my wrist and went to stand in front of us, a huge smirk plastered on his face.

"Gramps! Where've you been? I'm fed up of waiting!" Gary whined next to me. He wasn't usually whiney, but he had been acting weird for the last few weeks.

"Hmm? Oh yes." The Professor grinned. "Jaden, over there on my desk are 3 Pokémon inside those Poké Balls. I want you to choose one of them to take with you."

I stood there speechless for a minute. That was not what I was expecting. My very own Pokémon to feed, train and look after? A Pokémon that would listen to me and only me? I was snapped out of my daydreaming by Gary's voice.

"Huh? Hey, Gramps, no fair! What about me? I've been here the longest!" Gary whined again.

"Be patient, Gary. You'll have your turn soon enough," Oak commented before casually walking toward the table with me and Gary in tow. He gripped all 3 Poké Balls then tossed them up into the air. All simultaneously popping open to release red beams of light that shifted and bended into the forms of each individual Pokémon that were previously contained.

The first that caught my attention was green. A… Bulbasaur! Yes, it was a Bulbasaur! The giant bulb on its back was enough proof of that, it was covered in small darker green patches. "Saur! Bulbasaur!" it barked out, seemingly cheery enough. Its ruby red eyes sparkled at me, its little legs scurrying across the floor. The bulb on its back was supposedly filled with seeds to help it grow; useful if you want to carry out spore attacks like sleep powder or physical like Leech Seed.

The next in line bellowed its name after materializing from the red light beam, "Squirtle!" the tiny shell Pokémon called out. This one was covered in light blue scales and had a hard shell on its back, complete with a small curly tail. It also had red eyes like Bulbasaur. From my books, I had learnt that a Squirtles shell was the perfect tool for defense; probably something handy to remember in the future when it learnt Withdraw.

The final Pokémon was what really caught my attention. It was a Charmander. Its huge blue eyes blinked up at me. It stood on hind legs complete with a creamy belly. The most noticeable feature of this little lizard was the bright, brilliant flame on the tip of its tail. It was also adorned with sharp, white claws. As far as I know, its special abilities are that it can learn to breathe the blue flames of a Dragon Rage. Its tail would be hard to keep out of the rain. I know Fire type Pokémon had a natural disliking for rainy weather but I wondered if a Charmander would be in serious danger? It was then that I noticed, strangely enough, it didn't speak its name like Bulbasaur and Squirtle had; it was completely silent.

"Go ahead and chose, Jaden! Hurry up!" Gary called out; his obvious excitement sparkled in his green eyes. I suddenly felt pressured but I had already made my choice.

"I choose Charmander," I spoke softly, the little lizard looking upward at me when I mentioned its name. It was still being silent as ever. It seemed almost… shy.

The Professor beamed at me, "Ah! Charmander is your choice? You should raise it patiently, Jaden. It will grow into a strong Pokémon."

I grinned at the Professor and then gave the Charmander a gentle smile. "I think I'll call you Flare."

Gary then rushed up beside me, smirking at the Squirtle that began to tug at his pant leg. "Squirtle, Squirtle!" it cried before Gary picked it up with his hands, "I've been eyeing this one since you let them out. I'll take this one!" he smirked, much to Squirtles delight.

"Bulbaaa…" Bulbasaur murmured, obviously disappointed it wasn't chosen. But it soon perked up as the Professor bent down to pat its head gently. "Don't worry, Bulbasaur, I'm sure you'll get picked by a trainer one day!" the Professor reassured the small seed Pokémon.

I stood up, a small frown on my lips. The Charmander, now named Flare, hadn't said a word yet. "Professor?" I began, "Char- I mean Flare's been really quiet. Is he alright?"

"Hmm? Oh yes! He's just a little shy in comparison to the other two. He'll open up in no time to you, just give it some time."

"Ah, I see…" I trailed off, still a bit unsure. I began to walk toward the exit, Flare's Poké Ball in hand, when I stopped to look back at the little Charmander. To my surprise he began to follow me, his flame tail swishing about behind him. I let out a smile; at least he knew to follow me. I didn't feel like physically carrying a Charmander around with me.

"Wait, Jaden!" I turned to see Gary and Squirtle rushing toward us. "Let's check out our Pokémon for real! C'mon, I'll take you on!" He grinned, his rivalry burning in his eyes at the thought of our battle.

"Uh… okay. I'll beat you for sure!" I taunted, stepping back a bit to give us room to battle. Flare, sensing the upcoming battle, stood in front of me the way they did on TV. I had to say, this really got my blood pumping; I never knew it could be so exciting.

"Heh, you wish! I'll wipe the floor with you. Let's go, Squirtle!" Gary called out, his hands scrunched up into fists, his legs spread apart. Squirtle, looking as pumped as its trainer was, eagerly jumped in front of Gary to mimic the position me and Flare had.

"Gary, for Pete's sake; Jaden's never had a Pokémon battle before!" Professor Oak announced. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I was 14 and never had a Pokémon battle before, that's kind of shameful. But there's a first time for everything and that was now. I had to focus.

"Pfft! C'mon Gramps, I wanna see how she does on her own before I beat her!" Gary argued back, even though his comment made me frown a bit. It wasn't like I was a total newbie at Pokémon. I had knowledge but lacked experience.

"He's right, Professor," I mumbled, but then got my head into the game. "Flare, use Scratch attack!" I called, hoping to God that he knew that move. Almost like a siren went off in Flares brain, he immediately jumped into action. His claws coming down in an arc to slash at Squirtle.

"Squirtle!" it cried, the Scratch attack causing the Squirtles scales to turn red with pain. Even still it stood its ground, awaiting a call from its new trainer.

"Squirtle, give it a Tackle attack!" Gary ordered, forcing Squirtle to come charging toward Flare before it jammed its head into his stomach, making Flare skid across the tiled floor, now into a crouched position; his tail swishing high above its head.

"Try another Scratch, Flare!" I called, Flare obeying me without delay once again, successfully hitting its mark. Gary then ordered a Tail Whip attack. Suddenly, Squirtles tail popped out of its shell and started swinging at Flares legs, making him step back and focus on dodging the tail.

"Tackle," Gary boomed again, making Squirtle hit Flare in the face. "And again!" I grit my teeth; Flare was taking a beating out there.

"Use Growl!" I commanded, beckoning Flare to release a threatening sound, making Squirtle to lessen the force of its Tackle attacks. "Flare, follow up with Scratch!"

"Char!" It cried, unleashing a string of Scratch attacks on Squirtle, one after another. Squirtle cried out in pain but Flare still didn't let up on the assault. Squirtle then fell backward and a small feeble, "Squirt…" sounded out.

"I...I did it," I whispered, not quite able to grasp that I had won a Pokémon battle against Gary Oak. Hah! Who's laughing now? Flare still stood by the Squirtle before helping to its feet then happily chirping at it. I smiled faintly; they were still friends after all. I saw Gary stand still; a small, tight frown adorned his face.

"Unbelievable! I picked the wrong Pokémon!" he muttered, his green eyes glancing sideways out the window disapprovingly.

"Excellent! Both of you, well done!" the Professor congratulated.

"Alright, I'll make Squirtle battle to toughen him up." Gary smirked, suddenly his mood changed, picking Squirtle up in his arms then making his way over to me, "Jaden, enjoy this while you can; I'm not gonna let you win again! I can't believe I lost," he promised before walking past me toward the door.

"Oh! Wait, Gary! You too, Jaden I need you here," his grandfather called, making the brunette stop in his tracks, turning around with Squirtle in his arms; now awake and active once again.

"What is it Gramps?" he questioned.

"What is it, Professor?" I mirrored.

"I would like you both to travel across Kanto, meeting new Pokémon and exploring new towns. Together; I believe the experience will be better and you'll both learn a lot from each other," he laughed; me and Gary stood silent for a few minutes. "But I do need you both to run a little errand for me first before you travel too far. I have a package in Viridian City I need picking up. Could you please go and get it for me?" but we both still stayed silent prompting the Professor to ask what the problem was.

"It's just… I don't need her with me. No offence Jaden, but you'll just slow me down. I can do this way faster without you." Gary shrugged, as though he was discussing the weather. I simply stood there in shock. What. The. Hell. Didn't need me? I thought he'd want to travel with me; I thought we were best friends… I didn't know what was going on with him lately, but I didn't like it at all. I think something snapped inside me.

"What? I can't believe you'd say that, you jerk!" I hissed, my blue eyes sharpening. "I thought we were friends!"

Gary simply shrugged, "We're rivals; rivals don't travel together," he stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, his Squirtle squirming in his arms. "It's nothing personal, Jaden; I just don't have time to drag you around with me when I can do it so much faster on my own."

"Right… well do it on your own. Seeing as we're rivals, not friends anymore," I muttered, scooping up Flare, being mindful to keep his tail flame away. "I don't get what's with you lately; you've changed and it's not for the better," I snarled before storming outside, missing the shocked expression on Gary and the Professor's face as I left the Oak family behind me in the lab. Flare tucked up firmly in my arms, I began to march toward the north end of town; away from Gary and toward my errand for Professor Oak.

End of Chapter 1


	2. The Road To Viridian City

**Better Than You**

**Chapter 2**

**- The Road to Viridian City –**

"Chaaar…" Flare whined for the fourth time before I gently placed him on the ground near the tall grass, his flame tail swinging side to side. I take it he didn't like being picked up and that was fine with me; my arms were starting to ache and his scales were very warm.

We were now officially outside of Pallet Town and it felt so great to be here; to be free of that town and all its rules. I'd say bye to Mum on my return; for now I just focused on the Professors errand. My eyes caught sight of Flare, now walking around calmly in the tall grass.

"Hey, watch you don't light the grass on fire," I warned, tipping my white hat down to cover my eyes. The air was so humid around here, even though I wore a sleeveless shirt and a short pink skirt. "Come on, let's go and get this package for Oak and then we'll get off," I called, imagining Flare enjoyed the heat wave, what with being a fire Pokémon and all. He quickly followed prior to my instructions.

A scurrying in the bushes caught my attention. A wild Pokémon? Flare stood calmly by my side, as though he didn't sense the rapid movement at all. A small purple rat leaped from the bushes, bearing its huge fangs at us. "Rattata!" it shrieked before lashing out at me. Why was it attacking me? Is this what we need protection from? I then realised; wild Pokémon don't just attack other Pokémon, they attack humans too. Alarmed, I immediately called for Flare to use Scratch.

"Char!" he bellowed before running toward the tiny rat and giving it a slash down its side before it got any closer to me. The furry critter took a few steps backward, its ruby eyes staring at me intensely. I didn't like that one bit.

"Again, Flare." To which he complied, successfully hitting it dead on in the face while it was staring at me; causing a critical hit. The small rat then flopped on its side, unconscious, the fur all matted and covered in cuts from Flare's razor-sharp claws. From my knowledge of Gary's Squirtle, it'd be up and running around soon enough. "Let's get going," I said walking ahead of Flare, hoping he'd be following.

We encountered a few more Rattata but they weren't as creepy as the first one and were pretty easy to deal with. Suddenly, a loud cry of, "Yaaaaaaaaarh!" pierced the sky making me duck down out of shock. A large brown bird swooped down low, just missing pecking my hat to bits before circling back around.

"Whoa, what is that!" I stared in fear as the bird came back down, its beak pointing toward me. "Flare, use Growl!" I ordered, still crouched down among the grass blades. Flare leaped into action as always, growling in the birds face. It didn't seem to swerve the bird though; he only managed to turn its attention to him. It came barreling into Flare's stomach, delivering a series of pecks one after the other making Flare wail out in pain. That thing was seriously pissed off.

Without warning, the bird started to flap its wings, creating a gust of wind. The small force of wind then smacked into Flare, sending him spiraling to the ground. A large purple bruise was painted on his abdomen as he attempted to rise to his feet, grunting with the effort. I rushed forward, bending down to his level, my hand on his back rubbing soothingly then gently pushing him to stand up.

"Yaaah!" the bird squawked, once again airborne and circling around back toward us. I stood up, about to stand in front of Flare to avoid him getting hurt any further but I felt the red lizard run in between my legs. His tail flame was seemingly bigger than usual, his eyes blazing as he stood his ground. The bird dived toward us again. I tensed up half expecting Flare to take a few blows again, but instead he opened his mouth to release jets of flames that smacked straight into the bird, making it scream out in pain. It came crashing toward the ground; the wings singed a crispy black before it stood up on shaky legs and hobbled off into the thick bushes.

"Uhh…" I stood speechless while Flare padded back toward me. That must be his Ember attack. Awesome! "Good job, Flare!" I praised, earning a cheerful chirp in response. The town of Viridian City was straight up ahead.

First thing was the Pokémon Center; I knew Flare got beat up pretty bad by that Rattata and the bird. A rest for him sounded like a good idea. I eyed the big white and red building before rushing inside, Flare in tow behind me. I lined up behind the other trainers, who were accompanied by various Pokémon, until it was my turn to see Nurse Joy.

"Welcome to our Pokémon Center! What can I do for you today?"

"Hey, could you heal my Charmander for me please?"

"Of course, I'll take your Charmander for a few minutes and he'll be as good as new," the nurse informed me with a smile as I handed Flare over. He then started squirming and thrashing about; he obviously didn't like the nurse holding him like that.

"Err… do you mind if I just run to the shops for a minute? I have to pick something up and then I'll come and collect him," I asked, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. I turned to Flare, "Don't worry Flare, I won't be gone long."

"Sure, I'll keep him here and he'll be in perfect health when you get back."

And with that, I ran through the double doors toward a blue building; the Poké Mart. The second I walked in, one of the assistants came over to me. He wore a red uniform and had short black hair. "Hey, are you from Pallet Town?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm here to pick something up for Professor Oak."

"Ah, we've been waiting for you! Here it is!" He grinned then handed me a brown parcel.

"Thank you! Bye!" I waved as I ran back out toward the Pokémon Center. The place was a lot busier than when I was here a minute ago. I ran to the front of the queue to pick up my Charmander, earning very angry glares and comments from the trainers.

"Do you have my Charmander?" I questioned quickly, over the chorus of comments that were launched in my direction.

"Yes, here he is for you," the nurse replied in a monotone voice before handing me Flares Poké Ball.

"Thank you!" I yelled on the way out, careful not to make eye contact with the trainers that snarled in my general direction. Once outside, I pushed the button on Flares Poké Ball, the beam of red light showing the shape of a Charmander.

"Char!" he bellowed before hugging my leg. I let out a squeak, his scales were really warm; the trait of a fire Pokémon. I let out a gentle smile at the lizard's affection before patting his head.

"We best get this to Prof Oak," I stated, eyeing the small package in my hands before beginning to make my way south toward Pallet Town. Going back wasn't that bad; there were small ledges that you could jump down. It was a bit of a problem for Flare though and I had to carry him from time to time due to his small legs. Jumping wasn't really his thing.

We eventually came back into our home town. The few people who lived here bustled about with their daily business. I strolled to the Professor's lab, the big white building blocking out the sun as I came around the front. I pushed the heavy double doors open to walk into the cool lab, once again glad to be out of the heat. The Professor was still in the same place as last time, fiddling about with a blue book in his hands. He looked up as I got near.

"Jaden! Did you get my package?"

"Yep, here it is." I smiled, producing the light brown parcel from my bag then handing it over to the eager Professor. Flare was sniffing around the lab table where Bulbasaurs Poké Ball lay but was unable to reach it with his height.

"Gramps, what did ya call me here for?" a familiar voice sounded out behind me. I narrowed my eyes as I turned around. Gary Oak in all his glory walked toward me, his Squirtle in tow; but it seemed bigger for some reason. "Hey Jaden, you've only just got back? Figures; it took you long enough," he stated smugly, wagging a finger in disapproval in my direction. Apparently the 'event' before hadn't affected him at all; almost like it never happened.

"Heh, let's see you go for it next time then, smartarse," I hissed, my blue eyes glaring into his green ones. He smirked in response which irked me more.

"Humph, pesky girl," he replied, using his 'catchphrase', a smirk painted on his face again as usual.

"I have a few things to give each of you. First off I have a Pokédex. It records data on each type of Pokémon. It displays their stats, moves, weaknesses and strengths if you simply point it toward a Pokémon. It's also resistant to Pokémon attack elements. For example, if Flare was to use Flamethrower attack on you; the Pokédex would be perfectly fine! But you on the other hand… Quite the handy tool if I do say so myself, ho ho!" the Professor chuckled, handing the red devices over to me and Gary. The thought of getting melted by my own Pokémon didn't really give me positive thoughts.

I let out a nervous chuckle as I grasped my Pokédex. It was painted a shiny red, pretty light to hold. Curious, I pointed the north end toward Flare. The duel screens flashed up brightly, displaying an image of a Charmander on the top screen and all the data on the bottom screen. "Wow, that's cool," I breathed, amazed at information it gave me when I only pointed it toward Flare. I faintly heard Gary do the same with his Squirtle behind me.

"There's a stylus on the edge of the Pokédex that you use to navigate through it," the Professor informed us, now fiddling around with something in his desk drawer. True enough, the thin stylus was secured in a slot on the side; yellow in colour. I tapped through the data on Charmander which included behavior, abilities, height, weight, habitat and diet. I looked under the ability information. Charmander had the ability of Blaze;

_'When a Pokémon uses a Fire-Type move, if it has a third of its maximum health, the damage inflicted will be greater. Charmanders tail flame will grow bigger when the ability Blaze is in effect.'_

I thought for a moment; that must have been Blaze before when Flare used Ember. Cool! I turned back to Professor Oak, placing my Pokédex in my skirt pocket. It seemed Gary had finished poking about with his new Pokédex too.

"Jaden, Gary these Pokédex's have been programmed to record data of over 500 different types of Pokemon. Some are rare to find in our region of Kanto but if you're to see one, the Pokédex will record its data," he chimed, happy smile present on his face. He then handed us 2 boxes each containing 5 Poké Balls. I already knew what they were; they were tools for catching and releasing Pokemon so I dismissed the professors' lecture on what and how they worked.

Prof Oak then gave us the okay to continue on our journey. Without so much as looking at Gary, I raced out the door, Flare following closely behind. I didn't need him; I could do this on my own. The Professor had given me all I needed. I quickly stopped at home to say goodbye to my mum, we exchanged phone numbers so it wasn't too upsetting. I promised to phone her at least 3 times a week.

I whistled as I got set back on the road again, Flare keeping up with my pace. The sun had dimmed down now with the late evening, cooling the air. I was grateful; I much preferred cold weather and couldn't wait until the winter season. It was now late August and today had been one of the few heat waves that the year had left. I giggled at how much Flare would hate the upcoming weather but then how toasty he would be in the freezing blizzards.

"Jaden!" A voice sounded out behind me. I didn't have to think twice before the voice registered in my brain; Gary. I spun around to meet with his green eyes.

"Did I forget something?" I mumbled in confusion, why else would he be here?

"Tch, obviously, you pesky girl," he smirked, his Squirtle running up beside him to play with Flare, "you forget Gramps wanted us to go together." He stated, adjusting his lavender wristbands accordingly.

"Oh… but I thought I'd 'slow you down'?" I countered, mimicking him from before.

"Maybe, but with me here you won't have to worry about it; we'll get those Gym Badges in no time. After all you do have me with you," He winked then walked on ahead, both Pokemon still talking to each other. "Besides, I do have the _only_ town map with me." He shouted out behind him. I let out a groan and then ran up to catch them.

* * *

- 10 Minutes Later -

We passed through Viridian City with ease, both Squirtle and Flares moves burning and drowning everything in sight. Neither of us had tried out any of the Poké balls that the professor had given us; we were too preoccupied with talking about our starters. I don't know what was up with him before, but Gary had seemed to mellow out now and I was grateful for it. Maybe the professor had talked some sense into him while I was in Viridian City. We briefly paused at the Pokemon centre to rest up and then we made our way north to Viridian Forest.

I stopped at a sign that read,

'_Route 2 _

_Viridian City – Pewter City'_

Obviously we were going the correct way. In the middle of a grassy patch the same, "Yaaarrh!" sounded out that I recognized; that psycho bird was back.

As if on queue, the big brown bird swooped down again, missing me by inches if it wasn't for my pre-emptive dodge. "Flare use Ember!" I commanded, watching as hot streams of fire shot out from Flares mouth, hitting the bird dead on and earning a shriek of pain. I then whipped out my Pokédex, wanting to find out what that thing was actually called.

'_Pidgeotto, the bird Pokemon is highly territorial. Its sharp claws and beak can cause a lot of damage.' _

I grimaced, I remembered about its beak attack when it assaulted Flare.

"Jaden, what's up with that Pidgeotto?" Gary questioned, confused by the hostile behavior. "Did ya sit on it?" he teased.

"What? No! I don't know, it attacked me before when I was getting Professor Oaks package." I yelped as it dove down again. It wasn't aiming for Flare or Gary or Squirtle; it was _me._ I squeaked in terror as it circled back again, quick as lightning, "Flare, Scratch!" I shouted, watching as my trusty fire lizard jumped into action.

"Char!" the sharp claws missing its wing by inches as it barrel rolled in mid air, delivering a fierce Gust Attack that smashed into Flare; knocking him up into the air. The wings then began to glow a bright white, it slammed the edge into Flares stomach; sprawling him on the floor a few feet away. Well that was new.

"Squirtle, Bubble!" Gary ordered, his eyes focused on the Pidgeotto that now zoomed toward me again, his face deadly serious. Its wings glowed a bright white again, the bird heading straight toward me at full speed.

"Squirtle, squirt!" it complied, popping a steady stream of bubbles from its mouth that moved in between myself and the bird. The bubbles burst on impact when the bird crashed into them, creating a shield that the Pidgeotto couldn't get past without damaging its self further.

"Water Gun!" came another command; a flow of water bursting from Squirtles mouth now, directly hitting the Pidgeotto. It let out a loud squawk then collapsed to the ground, trying to get back up again. The wings had returned to their normal colour, "Tackle it, Squirtle," Gary voiced and then the small turtle complied; charging full speed toward the downed bird. Wham! The fallen Pidgeotto skidded on its side, the feathers all ruffled and covered in dirt from the ground. "Go, Poké ball!" He called again, throwing one of his Poké balls at the downed bird. It smacked into it then enveloped in a red light before sucking it into the ball. It wobbled around for a few minutes before coming to a halt, a small noise sounding out that confirmed the capture. Well damn.

The End –

**A/N: Second chapter is up! I'm sorry if there's any grammar/punctuation errors, my proof reader has been quite busy lately and hasn't had time to view the end part of the chapter. :) Also, a big thank you to R who reviewed the first chapter! :) **

**Jaden's Pokémon:**

**Charmander (Flare) - Level 8**

**Gary's Pokémon:**

**Squirtle - Level 13**

**Pidgeotto - Level 18**

**Better Than You **


	3. Viridian Forest

**Better Than You**

**Chapter 3**

**Viridian Forest – **

I gaped in awe at how strong his Squirtle had become. Losing to me must have really made him grind down the pressure of training. It was only now that I realised I was sitting on the floor, my skirt covered in dust and dirt. I heard Gary's footsteps walk over to me.  
"Yeah, I know. You're amazing for catching a Pidgeotto, blah, blah." I rolled my eyes, but then blinked as he offered his hand to help me up.

I grasped his warm hand; our fingers tightening together.  
"Very true." He winked, pulling me to my feet, a smile on both our faces despite his over bloated ego. I brushed the dirt from my skirt then jogged over to Flare who was just sitting up. His large blue eyes blinked up at me, disappointment evident in them at his defeat.

"It's okay Flare, that was a hard battle," I crooned, hand gently rubbing his back. He seemed to accept this and then stood up, his tail flame wagging. I turned back to Gary who was just picking up the Poké Ball and praising his Squirtle with a pat on the head. His green orbs then flicked briefly to the pinky-blue sky; a clear indication that it would be dark very soon.

"Come on, we should get going before nightfall," he declared, combing his fingers through his brown hair and then marching on, Squirtle in tow. I quickly followed, recalling talking to the professor about Viridian Forest back when he had been studying the berries there. It was a maze, populated by various bug Pokémon such as Caterpie and Weedle; some poisonous and some not. I gulped down before jogging after Gary; I sure as Hell didn't want to get lost in the forest… at night.

The dense opening to the forest was creepy as hell; trees littered the ground for what seemed like miles around and the dirt and grass tangled together as if in a frenzy to tie themselves into knots. This place seriously gave me the creeps; the tree tops seemed really bushy – much more than the trees that surrounded Pallet Town, and that made the area seem a lot darker than it should have been. Speckles of dying light began to bleed its way through the leaves before the sun was swallowed up completely so that it provided only a little bit of light. I couldn't see any obvious Pokémon in sight but the Professor mentioned it was completely crawling with bug Pokémon. I had to say, the thought of Bug Pokémon kind of made my skin crawl; I never did like bugs, they were just creepy.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I faintly spotted Gary's Squirtle far in front of me; the light blue a contrast to the surrounding greens. "C'mon Flare," I called, beginning to jog after the brunette. Humph, he could have called my name or something before walking off ahead. Although now that I thought about it, if it was getting dark then I would have the advantage; Flare's a fire type Pokémon and his tail made for an excellent torch. I grinned as I neared Gary, the crunching of leaves and the faint light of Flare's tail giving our position away. I leaned over his shoulder to see why he had suddenly stopped. He appeared to be scanning the region map that his sister, Daisy, had handed him.  
"Do you know which way we're supposed to go?" I questioned, even though it was obvious that he didn't know where to go himself; hence the map.

"I'm sure 100% sure…" He trailed off, a frown plastered on his face. I stood in silence peering around at the dense trees. The wind whirled far in the distance, weaving in and out through the thick branches. Just looking around here made me feel lost and we'd only entered the forest little more than a minute ago.

"Maybe we should go back and wait until the morning," I suggested, hands folding on my chest. "It'd be a lot lighter and it'd be warmer?" It wasn't that I was scared of the dark or anything… okay I was. But we also didn't have any tent equipment and unless I'm mistaken, Gary's bag didn't look like it could hold a tent, food and other stuff we'd need. Plus, it was getting cold out here.

He then turned around, one eyebrow raised and a cocky smirk on his face.  
"Why the sudden hesitation, Jadey? Afraid of the dark or somethin'?" he taunted while adjusting his backpack strap with one hand, the map clutched in the other.

Yes… "Of course I'm not! We don't have a tent! I don't want to sleep on the floor and Arceus knows what's in these woods at night! Anything could get us!" I ranted; could he not see why we couldn't go on? I mean I could barely see the sky anymore, let alone where we were going! The harsh winds whipping the tree branches around us, almost like a tidal wave of movement. I really hated this place already.

"Aw c'mon stop being such a girl," he mocked, wagging a finger in my direction as if scolding a small child; which infuriated me to no end. "How can you expect to be a great trainer if you can't stay in a forest for one night?" He smirked, his Squirtle sat down by his legs. Okay, I was scared of the dark but he did have a valid point, if I couldn't get through this then how could I be a good trainer? But I sure as hell wasn't gonna admit that to him.

Releasing a growl, I lashed out and grabbed his wrist. "We'll see who's scared, and we're going. Now," I snapped, dragging him behind me off into the thick blackness that slowly began to swallow up the forest as night settled in. Flare's steady brightening flame signalled he was following behind us. I assumed Squirtle was also behind us with Flare. I could hear the map crackling every now and then as I dragged Gary through the maze of trees; he didn't protest so I thought he was okay with being led. The damn map wasn't any use, that's for sure.

"Flare, could you come up in front please?" I called; I needed his tail flame to make sure I didn't hit a tree. I'd never hear the end of it if that happened.

"Wait, wait," Gary protested while we stopped to re-arrange ourselves. I felt his hand slip from my death grip on his wrist to come back and lace his fingers with mine. I felt a blush bury its way into my cheeks at the feeling of our laced fingers.

"Wha-?" I began.

"It's so we can stay together better and not get lost. You almost crushed my wrist there, y'know." He sighed, glad for his wrist to be free but a smile was present on his face anyway to show there was no harm done.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," I apologised, not realising my grip was that tight. I watched him fold the tiny map into one of his backpack pockets before resting his gaze back on me.

"Don't worry about it, right now we need to get to a clearing or something and camp out," he claimed, seeming to have calmed down now, as had I. He stopped mid-pace when Squirtle tugged on his pant leg, fear in its bright ruby eyes as it clung to Gary's leg. Poor thing, it must be afraid of the dark. Gary then bent down so he was eye level with Squirtle, our hands still linked. "Do you want to go back inside your Poké Ball?" he asked gently, his free hand holding Squirtles ball in front of him. The small turtle shook its head furiously, obviously wanting to be with its trainer even when it was scared. Gary then smiled, clipped his ball back onto his belt and then wrapped his arm around the turtle, heaving it up so its shell was pressed against Gary's chest and his arm was across its stomach.

"That okay, Squirtle?" he asked before receiving an eager nod from the small Pokémon, obviously much more comfortable with not being on the dark floor and being closer to Gary. Satisfied with the answer, he turned back to me. "Shall we get going?"

I nodded and this time Gary took the lead with Flare in front to brighten the pathway. By now it was almost pitch black around us and I was very glad to be holding Gary's hand right now even though I was at the back of the little line that we had formed. I quickened my pace so I was next to Gary and Squirtle. The woods really made me nervous now; I felt like I was alone and that something was after me. Or at least watching me and I hated that. I hated it a lot.

"Hoooooo!" Voices sounded out, making me cry out and nudge closer to Gary. Flare had also stopped in front to see what the matter with his trainer was. My eyes were screwed shut in an attempt to imagine myself somewhere else, like the comfort of my bed or house.

"Err… Jaden?" Gary called out, his voice right next to me. I creaked open my eyes slightly to home in on his face, "It's just some Hoothoot. See? They're not from our region, I think they were first found in Johto, but they live here too. They come out at night; it's nothing to be scared of," he assured me, his fingers squeezing mine. I looked up toward the strange bird Pokemon. There were about 7 perched on the one branch, their huge red eyes blinking down upon us. They seemed to be standing on one leg but I think that was just the dark making it look that way. Their eyebrows were shaped like clock hands, their stubby little wings tucked into their sides. The creepy thing was, they were all tilting slightly to the left. All 7 of them.

I gulped down but nodded; I really needed to get over this but we couldn't be searching for a campsite for much longer, right? Just then, without warning, the 7 Hoothoot cried out in a chorus of 'hoots' all at the same time, making it quite loud. I gripped Gary's hand once more, unconsciously shuffling closer to him, Squirtle and Flare.

"It's alright. It's just what they do. They all hoot at the same time each night," Gary explained, his voice still calm as though nothing had fazed him. "Strange to find them here though…" he murmured the last part; I think he was just thinking out loud because he then seemed to snap out of it. "Well never mind. Over there looks like a good place to camp," he suggested, looking straight toward a small clearing. I groaned inwardly but nodded regardless. It was evident we wouldn't find our way out of here now so we may as well camp out.

- 10 minutes later -

I don't know how all this crap fit into his backpack but surely enough, Gary Oak had done it again. Within 10 minutes, we had a sleeping bag and a huge blanket laid out of the floor; Squirtle and Flare happily starting to snuggle up to one another. Quickly I leapt forward to catch Flare before his tail accidentally swung and lit the blanket or the sleeping bag on fire. "Flare, no, no! You need to be careful where you swing that tail of yours," I lightly warned, the last thing we needed was a nice forest fire.

"It's alright. I've packed a fire and water proof blanket and sleeping bag. Do you know why? Because I think things through Jadey, unlike _some_." He smirked over his shoulder, his hands flattening the sleeping mat out near the end. I gritted my teeth at his comment but swallowed down a response. I already had enough problems without us arguing on top of it. I let out a huff and walked to the edge of our little campsite. Oh Arceus, it was like staring into oblivion; complete blackness. I heard the rustle of equipment behind me faintly, but my eyes focused on a small ball on the floor a few feet away. It wasn't there before, was it? I squinted to try and pierce through the inky blackness of the night but I couldn't define any notable features that would distinguish it from a rock. Shrugging lightly I began to turn away but just then there was a small speck of light that bounced off the 'rock' before disappearing. Hah, it was almost like a little jolt of lightning.

"Pika…" a little voice croaked out which made me freeze on the spot. Did that rock just..?

"Did you say somethin'?" Gary asked from behind me somewhere, the distant rustling had now stopped.

I ignored Gary, my eyes set straight on the strange object, "Flare, come here. _Quickly!"_ I ordered and sure enough, the area began to light up as he came closer, his tail swishing.

"Chaaar," he mewed beside me, his jaw extending as he released a yawn. His stubby legs carried him in front of me, his tail flame illuminating the area. I squinted my eyes at the now lit up object. It was a small ball of yellow fur accompanied with three light brown patches on the top. The strange object fascinated me immensely, causing me to stretch my hand out toward it. I squeaked in surprise when a hand slapped on top of my own wrist; halting any further movement.

"Wait. That's a Pikachu," Gary whispered from behind me, his arm and his purple wristband scratching up against my own arm. Oh! I think I've heard of those before. Some gym leader, Lt. Surge was it, used one in the gym league tournament first round before he evolved it into a Raichu for the second round. I remember he came out first in the Electric tournament, his Raichu made sure of it; that thing was lethal. Regardless, I know that Pikachu evolves into Raichu. And this was a Pikachu in front of me; Gary confirmed that much. "Yeah, that's a Pikachu, but don't-" Gary started.

"Oh awesome." I grinned. "I'll catch it! Flare, use Ember!" I commanded, ignoring Gary's sentence and cutting him off. Loyal as ever, hot streams of fire shot out from Flares mouth, hitting directly into the small Pikachu, creating a sizzling hiss as it made contact with the vanilla fur. The small Pikachu cried out in pain before turning out at blinding speed, though its brown eyes seemed drowsy as though woken up from sleep.

"You shouldn't have attacked it while it was asleep…" Gary muttered disappointment and worry laced in his voice. I failed to notice him withdraw slightly behind the back of a tree, his hand at the ready to grab something. Grab what?

"Hey, I didn't know it was… oh Arceus!" I cried, my hands coming up to instinctively cover my face. The small mouse had stood up on his hind legs, the red cheeks hissed with crackling electricity; but its eyes were still half lidded. Gary's left hand then reached out to grab something off my belt; a spare Pokeball that I assumed he would use to catch the Pikachu. His right hand then shot out to grasp hold of my upper arm, his swift tug jerking my body into his; behind the tree. I had my back pressed up against his chest, his arm wound around my waist but I was too in shock to notice. Before I was pulled aside, the small Pikachu's electricity began to crackle more intensely but it looked as though it was still dozy after waking up. I could only imagine the sting that the electricity would give me, Gary or even anything else.

The next thing, the static of the electricity must have burst forth from the Pikachu's cheeks; a cry was heard then the small area lit up for a second in a yellow hue. Gary must have unconsciously tightened his grip on me with the sudden burst of energy. A shiver then ran through me, Flare was still facing the Pikachu. Without really thinking, my arms tore Garys away from my waist, I flung my body around the other side of the tree. The Pikachu was now crouching down on the grassy floor; the sudden discharge must have sapped its energy. Flare's low orange glow alerted me to his location, he was also crouched down but seemed to be gritting his teeth and his limbs were faintly shaking.

"Flare… what's wro-"I began.

"He's paralysed," Gary stated. The frustration and disappointment in his voice were both aimed at me.

The End

**A/N: I'm sorry this took so long guys! I've had to do a load of coursework but that'll all be over in a few weeks so I'll hopefully be updating every few days! ^-^ And thank you so much to my reviews and those who favourite/subscribe to this story, it really means a lot to me! And thank you very much to my proof reader! 3 **

**Just to avoid any confusion, 'The End' means just the ending of the chapter, not the ending to the story! XD I intend to take this right to the end and maybe a little bit after the Pokemon League. :) **

**Thank you guys, I'll try and update soon! **

**~Jadeth**


	4. Of Fire & Thunder

**Better Than You**

**Chapter 4**

**Of Fire and Thunder**

_"Flare… what's wro-" I began._

_"He's paralysed," Gary stated. The frustration and disappointment in his voice were both aimed at me._

"P-paralysed?" I stuttered. It that why he can't move well?

"Yeah, Pikachu used Thunder Shock on you because you attacked it while it was asleep. They discharge electricity when they're drowsy so an attack would be stronger than normal and Flare's paralysed because of it," he spoke hotly from beside me. Sheesh I didn't know. "You're not too smart, are you?" he continued to scold.

"Well maybe this would have come in handier if you told me this _before_!" I countered; no way was he making me feel guilty for this.

"I _did_ warn you! You were too preoccupied with the thought of a new Pokémon that you didn't consider what would happen to your own Pokémon," he ranted. "Such a rookie mistake…" He huffed.

"Well I am a rookie!" I barked back before turning my attention back to the Pikachu and Flare. Screw Gary, I didn't need his preaching to be able to catch a Pokémon; I've seen it on TV a million times. "Flare, Ember attack!"

My small companion rose on shaky legs, its flame tail limp behind it. Its mouth opened, launching a string of fire attacks. The small Pikachu's eyes widened as the hot flames made contact with the short yellow fur. It collapsed to the ground, the yellow fur singed and matted, its teeth bared in a defensive growl.

'_Now looks as good a time as any!' _I thought as I reached for my spare Poké Balls that were attached to my belt. My index finger popped the button in the middle of the ball, extending its size. With a flick of my wrist, I launched the bigger ball straight into Pikachu. It gave a cry as the ball made contact, a red light engulfing the Pokémon before it got warped inside.

The forest seemed deadly quiet as I watched the Poké Ball shake, the button flashing red and white as it bobbed around. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the ball stopped shaking; the Pikachu was caught. My cerulean eyes widened and then a grin split across my face; oh yeah! I turned to the side to gloat in Gary's face but I saw he had walked back to the camp fire. Well.

I congratulated Flare with a pat on the head and a hug, and then proceeded to claim my new Pikachu. "I think I'll call you… Shockwave," I exclaimed, more so talking to the Poké Ball than myself. I walked back to camp, remembering to carry Flare as it hurt him to move too much. I set him down in the clearing I shared with Gary and Squirtle, Shockwave's ball in my hand.

"Humph, so you finally managed to do somethin' right, huh?" Gary taunted behind me; but I ignored him. I did it, I finally caught a Pokémon. My finger touched the button on the ball, releasing the small mouse from within. The small rodent was a little smaller than Flare, but he didn't seem to be defensive anymore like before he was caught.

"Piiiiika," he greeted, his fur was still bruised and battered, but he seemed okay. I smiled as I watched Flare happily greet him back. I even saw Squirtle scoot over to see the newly caught Pokémon. "Pikachu!" it merrily chirped over at me and Gary; it was certainly a social Pokémon. I then noticed Gary was sat beside me again, his green eyes focused on the conversation between Shockwave, Flare and his Squirtle; all 3 Pokémon smiling and exchanging gestures.

"You like him?" I asked, my eyes still looking at the trio. I began to realise how tired I felt, today's been really hectic compared to what I'm used to in our quiet town.

"He's alright I suppose, for a Pikachu," he grunted, but I knew he thought it was a nice Pokémon. I was about to reply with a remark, but a yellow glow in the distance caught my attention.

"Gary? What's that glow over there?" I asked, squinting my eyes to get a better look. Gary looked equally puzzled by the glow so he stood up and walked toward it, faintly calling for Squirtle in case there was trouble. I unconsciously followed; assuming Flare and Shockwave would stay there at the camp or follow.

As we approached, Gary and Squirtle in front, I could make out a trainer and a black dog-like Pokémon. Upon closer inspection, the black Pokémon was the source of the light; glowing yellow rings adorned its body, its eyes a flashing blood red colour. My eyes shifted to the trainer behind it. It was a girl with straight black hair, dressed in a red t-shirt, black pants and a backpack on her shoulder. How strange.

"Interesting Pokémon you have there, an Umbreon, right?" Gary exclaimed; wasting no time with formalities I see.

"Gary, you should introduce yourself first," I muttered from behind him before the girl had time to respond. "I'm Jaden and this is Gary, we're from Pallet Town," I began, staring into the strangers hazel coloured eyes.

"I'm Vicki; I'm from the Johto region. And yeah you're right; this is my Umbreon, Isaac," the girl, Vicki, answered, her left hand gesturing to the Pokémon beside her, its ruby eyes gleaming at us. "I keep him out of his Poké Ball because he likes to travel in the dark and I can see where I'm going with him around." She smiled.

Gary nodded beside me. "I thought so. I'm gonna get an Eevee and evolve it into an Umbreon," he exclaimed, a grin forming on his face. "Why don't you stay the night with us? Our camp site is over here, we can talk more about where you're from." I inwardly groaned; Vicki seemed like a nice girl and all, but there was no way I'd sleep with those two talking all night and I was already tired from all the walking we did before. But I chose not to say anything; I'll just grin and bear it. She agreed and her Umbreon followed suit, the glowing rings illuminating the area far better than Flare's tail had.

I sat down with my back leaning against the tree, Flare and Shockwave creeping up to curl on either side of me. I let a tired smile grace my lips; I've only known them both for such a short time and they trust me enough to sleep next to me; before resting my eyes. Not sleeping, just resting them… the faint buzz of talking growing fainter.

"Hey, how about a battle?" I heard in the distance. It seemed so far away.

"Sure, one on one?" another voice popped up. Who in Arceus was talking? Where was I? I slid open my eyes slowly, the piercing light of the morning invading my eyes. It was a lot warmer than I remember…? Was I in the forest? With that thought, I sat up quickly, throwing a blanket and an orange object off me. Blinking a few times to clear the haze, I remembered that wasn't a dream; I really do have my own Pokémon, I am travelling with Gary Oak and I am in the middle of a forest.

"Char..." My faithful starter murmured, lying on his stomach by my legs, not too impressed with being thrown onto the floor when he was so comfy on my stomach. I guess that was what the heat was, hehe. Shockwave dreamily lifted his head from where he slept under the crook of my right arm. They stayed with me the whole night…?

"Oh, sorry, Flare," I nervously laughed, but then noticed a purple blanket lain out on top of me. Was that there before? The worn piece of cotton then registered in my mind; this belonged to Gary. He must have covered me with it when I fell asleep. I blushed slightly at the thought; that was sweet of him. But we still had to get out of this damn forest.

Sliding the blanket off me and folding it in half, I tucked it away in my bag until we next camped. No one else seemed to be here. My eyes then caught sight of Squirtle, tucked up in a ball sleeping soundly. I didn't want to disturb him so I crept away quietly. My thoughts swam back to before. I'm sure I heard voices. Oh! Where were Gary and Vicki? Was it their voices I heard before? Were they battling? I let out a yawn and began to gather my things; my bag and my Pokémon. I let Shockwave stay out of his Poké Ball and returned Flare to his; he found it hard to keep up and my arms would start to ache from carrying him everywhere. Shockwave hopped up on my right shoulder, his paws gripping the material of my shirt to hold him up. I went in search for them both, sounds of Pokémon alerting me to their location.

In a clearing a few feet away, both Gary and Vicki stood on opposite ends. Gary noticed me and gave me a smile, "'Bout time you got up, Jadey, I thought you'd never wake up." He laughed. I growled in response but let it go; it was too early and I was still a bit tired. "Would ya do me a favour? Go get Squirtle for me, it'll save me going to get him later," he asked. I nodded in reply, but I'd do it later, plenty of time for that.

He then turned back to Vicki, "One on one then. Go, Pidgeotto!" he cried, unleashing his Poké Ball. The brown bird materialised on the ground, its sharp eyes focusing on the surroundings.

"A Pidgeotto… alright, Matt let's go!" she exclaimed, throwing her own Poké Ball onto the field. A blue and creamy coloured Pokémon emerged, long in the body. Triangular ears stood on the top of its head, red irises blinked out at the bird Pokémon. Five strange red spots adorned the top half of the body. Weird; it must be from the Johto region because even Gary looked confused as to what the Pokémon was. At hearing the trainers call, jets of flames burst forth from the red spots on its back and head, burning brightly. I flipped my Pokédex out to scan it, Shockwave leaning forward on my shoulder to get a better look.

'**Quilava, the Volcano Pokémon. Quilava keeps its foes at bay with the intensity of its flames and gusts of superheated air. This Pokémon applies its outstanding nimbleness to dodge attacks even while scorching the foes with flames.'**

Huh, cool. The Pokédex really makes it sound badass; let's see if it lives up to it.

"Matt, Quick Attack!" The second the order was called, the fire Pokémon darted forward, the flames on its back leaving a trail of faint embers in their wake.

"Pidgeotto, fly up and dodge it," Gary called, calm as ever. The bird Pokémon obeyed and with one or two flaps of its large wings, it took off, the Quilava missing its target by centimetres before coming to a skidding halt, almost ramming into a tree.

"Pidgeotto, use Sand-Attack," he called again. The bird Pokémon obeyed without a second's hesitation. It swooped down low just as the fire Pokémon charged again. The widespread wings pushed a cloud of thick sand and dust into the air, right in Quilava's path. "Use Quick Attack to dodge." Pidgeotto then sprang forth into the air using Quick Attack. Once again the Quilava missed, the cloud of sand sprinkled on its eyes, causing it to crash into a tree in its blinded state. "Do it now! Gust!" I and Shockwave watched intensely at the fight, completely absorbed in watching the two Pokémon. I never noticed how serious Gary looked when he battled, how concentrated he became. The bird flapped its wings, currents of heavy air sprayed toward the momentarily stunned Quilava.

"Matt, dodge it!" The cry came from Vicki. The Quilava then picked its self up shakily then dashed forward, under the torrent of gusts. The attack instead hit the tree, causing leaves to fall off in rapid succession. A cracking noise was also heard but it didn't sound like the tree.

"Pika…" Shockwave growled from atop my shoulder, his tail rising into the air and his teeth baring. By now, everyone had heard the sound and stood still, waiting for something to happen. I gulped down a breath. The cracking noise grew louder and then something fell out of the tree, attached by a string. Then another and another. Soon there were about 25 of them, dropping down from all the surrounding trees, and they looked suspiciously like…

"Kakunaaaa," they all hummed in unison before glowing a bright white. _'Oh Arceus, they're Beedrill!' _I thought it horror. Beedrill were very well known to dwell in forests in big swarms; known to be fast and very poisonous. The glowing then stopped but no one dared to move a muscle. The Kakuna had evolved into Beedrill. Like a wasp, a yellow body with big shiny red eyes, the first 2 legs were tipped with huge white stingers, another stinger on its striped abdomen with big veined wings that hummed in a chorus.

"Run!" Gary shouted straight after he recalled Pidgeotto and Vicki recalled her Quilava. He headed in my direction, followed by Vicki. I made a 180 degree turn, and then sprinted in the opposite direction of the Beedrill. I could hear their wings buzzing behind me; it made me shiver, I couldn't stand Bug Pokémon and Beedrill were one of the worse in my opinion. The buzzing seemed to get fainter as we ran. The Beedrill must have stopped giving chase and I was glad for it. My sides heaved as we slowed to a stop, Shockwave still clutching my shoulder so as not to be toppled off. Gary and Vicki arrived a few seconds later.

"It looks like they've stopped chasing us for now. They must be picking at the campsite for things to eat, good job we didn't leave anything," Gary exclaimed, sliding down a nearby tree to rest, Vicki doing likewise to another tree.

'_Squirtle!'_ My mind practically screamed at me. My blood ran cold, I've left Garys Squirtle, I left him sleeping and now the Beedrill might have… Oh Arceus no!

Without a second thought, I dashed back to the campsite, ignoring the concerned and confused calls and shouts of Gary and Vicki behind me. "Shockwave, I… I've left Squirtle and those Beedrill will probably have surrounded him, I need your help getting him back, okay?" I panted. I was so tired from all this running but I had to save Squirtle, he was in danger and it was my entire fault. I must save him. Shockwave nodded from my shoulder, his paws hanging on as I dashed off.

I made it back to the clearing. The Beedrill were still littered about but I ran past them, their horrid buzzing following me again. I looked over to where Squirtle was sleeping before. He was still tightly tucked in his shell but for different reasons. Three Beedrill poked his shell around with their poisonous barbs, looking for a way to get inside it. A green coloured Beedrill with blue eyes seemed to be in charge; it was a bit bigger than the others that's for sure.

"Shockwave, use Thunder Shock but try not to hit Squirtle," I commanded. There was no use whispering, they knew I was approaching from the noise I made snapping twigs and rushing through the bushes. He nodded then leapt up from my right shoulder, his red cheeks sparking electricity everywhere before unleashing a whip of cackling electricity. The Beedrill shrieked in pain, some collapsing and others managing to stay airborne. The ones around Squirtle had thankfully collapsed, too paralysed to move.

"Pika!" he growled at the other Beedrill, his cheeks cackling with jolting thunder, awaiting my commands. I rushed over to Squirtle, dodging the fallen Pokémon. I picked his shell up in my hands.  
"Squirtle! It's alright, you're safe now, please come out!" I begged, praying to Arceus that he was alright. A small popping noise was heard as he emerged from his shell, completely unscathed, save for the tears that leaked out of his ruby eyes. He let out a cry and then latched onto my shirt; I hugged him to my chest, so thankful he was fine. But now I had to get out of here, the whole colony was closing in on us.

"Shockwave, we might have to fight our way out of this!" I called; still clutching Squirtle to my chest. There was no way I was letting him go again. They surrounded us now, their bodies bloated with poison that dripped from each of their stingers. "Thunder Shock, hit as many as you can!" I called, crouching low on the ground, covering Squirtle with my body so he wouldn't get shocked. My Pokémon then unleashed a flurry of thunder shocks onto anything and everything that flew in the air around us. The ground constantly lit up at the discharging thunder. However, he was only a low levelled Pikachu; his shocks weren't that deadly and eventually, they kept getting up and flying back toward us and Shockwave was almost out of electricity. "Shockwave, come here!" I called, he then tiredly made his way over as quickly as his drained body would allow. "I'm so proud of you, you've been amazing. But I need you to stay low, I'll protect you, they'll have to get though me first." I grit my teeth. They'd be stabbing their stingers into my back in a minute, but if it kept them safe, I could do it. I closed my eyes and waited for the blinding pain to seep through my back.

"Get out the way!" a voice from in front called, approaching footsteps were barely heard over the deafening buzz of the entire Beedrill colony. I cried out; whoever had spoken before lunged straight at me, completely toppling me over onto my back and was now layered on top of me. I cracked open my eyes to see green ones peering down at me.

"G-Gary? What are you-" I croaked. What in Arceus' name was he doing here? He was safe, he should have stayed there! Ugh, typical man.

"Do you think you're smart? Or are you trying to give me a heart attack, running off like that?" he snarled, cutting me off. His eyes blazed in anger, relief and… concern? I couldn't really tell, the deadly situation made sure of that. I saw the oddly coloured Beedrill behind him and yelled and squirmed at him to move but he firmly planted himself over me and wouldn't budge.

"You're gonna get stung, you idiot! Move out the way!" I argued but the look in his eye told me he knew he'd get stung. If he got stung then he'd be protecting me. Oh Arceus. Shockwave and Squirtle were fighting off the other approaching Beedrill but they mustn't have noticed the one about to stab Gary. He then yelled out as the stinger pierced his skin, the poisonous barb sinking into his bloodstream before yanking its self out, causing Gary to grit his teeth and try to stop his arms shaking. The shock that Shockwave dealt before still left it crisped and scarred; Gary took this moment to use the last of his strength to fling a Poké Ball up at the said Beedrill, sucking it inside and capturing it as the ball stopped shaking.

I heard him give a strangled gasp, his eyes dilated and his skin turned very pale. "G-Gary…" I gasped as he went completely limp on top of me, his breathing becoming laboured and thick due to the travelling venom. I think I went into shock for a moment. _'Gary… my best friend just got stung by a Beedrill… for me… he's poisoned, needs help, he did that for me… risked his life...'_

Anger and rage blinded my vision like nothing before; I gently pushed him off me to the side, being wary to keep his head from banging against the grassy floor, I kept it resting on my lap, careful not to knock him around too much. I reached for my belt; I knew Flare was hurt and Paralysed but I needed help here. "Char!" he called, before grimacing at the static that twisted through his muscles.

"Flare, Ember! Use Ember on every Beedrill you see!" I growled in a fury, watching Gary's Squirtle and Shockwave deal damage to the surrounding Beedrill, causing them to faint or fly away. A smoke screen then floated into the clearing, the Quilava and trainer from before running from a bush out toward us.

"What happened?" Vicki stated, her Quilava standing on its haunches beside her.

"He got stung by a Beedrill; we need to get him to Pewter city."

"Ah alright, we'll need all our Pokémon to do this." And with that, she released her Umbreon. It gave a cry, the red eyes gleaming at the Beedrill; slowly withering down in numbers due to the fire, water and thunder attacks. The Smoke Screen helped to confuse them to our location, our own Pokémon small enough to squeeze under the thick blanket of smoke. "Matt will continue to deal out a Smoke Screen while we move Gary; your other Pokémon should stay close too just in case," she ordered. I didn't like being ordered around but if it helped Gary and us to get out of this, I could bear it.

"You grab his legs, I'll get his head," I instructed, looping my arms under his to get a steady grip, remembering to pick up the Poké Ball that contained the Beedrill. His head lolled back against my chest, his hair dampening with sweat from his shivering fever. _'Gary you idiot…'_

Vicki nodded, her arms clamping around his legs. On a count of three, we heaved him in the air… before crashing back down to the ground. "He's really heavy!" she gasped. It wasn't because he was fat or anything, he was just tall.

"I know, but we need to do this," I ground out. I think I had the heavier part of his body, what with the head and chest and all. "Again, three, two, one, go!" I called. Each of us heaved his body up again; this time more successfully. "Which way is it?" I cried frantically; the last thing we needed was to run into a dead end.

"It's west to Pewter city, so this way." We then darted off in the direction her and Gary had run before. "I made sure it was the right way when we ran off before, that's why I took so long getting back," she explained but then said no more, Gary wasn't the lightest thing ever and talking whittled away our energy. I head the sounds of our Pokémon behind us; I heard the Quilava give off the black smog into the air, while Squirtle, Umbreon, Flare and Shockwave continued to run after us, attacking whenever a Beedrill came under the smoke.

After what seemed like an eternity, we were through the Pewter City gates, our Pokémon in tow behind us. I almost dropped Gary in relief, but I didn't. My arms ached from holding up his weight so I hoped the Pokémon Center was near. They were bound to have some antidotes for humans, what with living by a forest. A few passers-by stopped and stared at our unusual predicament, the stares mainly focused on Gary and Umbreon; seeing as they lived in Kanto, an Umbreon must be foreign to them. _'Yeah, thanks for the help,' _I thought darkly as we marched on through the town and into the Pokémon Center.

We explained the situation to Nurse Joy, who took my Pokémon, Flare, who needed healing while her Chansey carried Gary off on a stretcher out of sight into the back room, his Squirtle following him. She assured me this happened all the time and that he'd be fine but I couldn't help the nausea that ate away at my stomach. We then walked out of the Center, Nurse Joy explaining he would be ready by nightfall and to go and explore the town in the meantime. I wanted to stay with Gary but she wasn't having any of it. She informed me that Flare would be ready very soon so I lingered by the tall red building in case her Chansey called me back in to collect him.

"What are you doing now?" I asked Vicki, who was feeding Isaac, her Umbreon, a sour poffin from her backpack. He mewed in delight before purring up next to his trainer. Her Quilava, Matt, shrank back in disgust at the yellow treat.

"Matt, I'll give you yours now, be a bit more patient," she preached, reaching again into her bag to produce a pink sweet poffin. The fire Pokémon gulped it in joy; the Umbreon now shrank back in disgust at the scent of the pink poffin. "They both like the opposite poffin, it's a real pain sometimes," she laughed turning to me. "I don't know; go to Saffron City I suppose. I need to meet up with a friend of mine; he's also from the Johto region." She smiled, turning around to go through Mt. Moon. "Take care of Gary."

"Wait! How about a battle? I'd like to see what that Umbreon of yours can do," I called, Shockwave nodding in agreement from his position on the ground. She stopped then turned back,

"Alright then, I accept your challenge. One on one. Go on, Isaac," she encouraged, her faithful Pokémon hopping forward to stand in front.

"Shockwave, let's go," I called the mouse Pokémon who eagerly darted in front, electricity quaking from his cheeks. "Quick attack!" Shockwave squeaked, darting forward at blinding speed. _'Fighting those Beedrill must have made him go up a few levels,' _ I thought, watching him smash into Umbreon.

"Isaac, Shadow Ball!" came the order. I watched an oily black ball form in Umbreon's mouth, purple static buzzing around it. With a bow of its head, the projectile shot forth and exploded in Shockwave's face. The explosion threw him onto his back, his fur matted and bruised. He rose on shaky legs, his teeth bared and his tail up.

"Thunder Shock!" The electricity burst from his cheeks, zapping Umbreon and electing a cry of pain. I shielded my eyes from the blinding light, the floor glowing a faint yellow. Our battle attracted a few passers-by, young and old, who stood in awe at the foreign Pokémon. "Shock it again!" He charged up a Thunder Shock again, sucking in a breath.

"Isaac, Bite!" And with that, the Dark Pokémon lunged forward, its sharp teeth sinking into Shockwave's arm; with a swift flick, he threw the small mouse into the dirt a few feet away. He thudded against the dusty floor, his cheeks discharging a Thunder Shock too late that flew straight into the air. He then struggled to rise again before flopping over in the dirt, immobile. "Looks like I win this. That was a great job, you should be proud." She smiled, kneeling down to congratulate Isaac.

'_Humph I am proud,' _I thought, kneeling down to cradle my Pikachu in my arms. He looked disappointed he lost, "That was great, Shockwave, you did an amazing job. We'll get him next time, okay?" I encouraged, grinning when he perked up and nodded. I stood up straight, still holding Shockwave with one arm, who smiled down and waved at the Umbreon who barked back happily in response. I held out my other hand. "That was a good battle, but I will get you next time."

She smiled back, shaking my hand. "Yeah, I look forward to it." She then turned her hazel eyes to the sky; it was noon. "I better get going if I want to get to Cerulean before nightfall." We exchanged farewells and we watched her walk out through the east gate, towards Mt. Moon. I suddenly remembered to shout,

"Hey! Thanks for your help back in the forest; things could have turned out way worse." I waved, Shockwave mimicking me from his position on my arm. She grinned and waved back, her and Isaac disappearing through the passageway. Hmm… now what to do… Just then, I felt a strange twinge in my brain that caused me to cry out, almost like a painful echoing was piercing my thoughts. Shockwave patted my shoulder in comfort but he looked very confused. What in Arceus' name was happening to me?

"_Help me! Please, _please_ help me!"_

The End

**A/N: Ah I'm sorry it took so long! But I've finished school now so chapters should be getting written faster. Hope you all enjoy and don't forget to review! :) **

**~ Jadeth**


	5. Mixed Emotions

**Better Than You**

**Chapter 5**

**Mixed Emotions**

I felt a strange twinge in my brain that caused me to cry out, almost like a painful echoing was piercing my thoughts. Shockwave patted my shoulder in comfort but he looked very confused. What in Arceus' name was happening to me?

"_Help me! Please, _please_ help me!"_

My eyes snapped open as I looked around frantically. But I couldn't see anyone shouting or even looking in my direction. I heard it so clearly… I was so sure. '_Maybe I'm just going insane…'_ I thought.

"Pika," Shockwave mewed, snuggling into my arms obviously delighted at being carried. I smiled, something to note for later. Glancing around the town, there didn't seem like there was a lot that we could actually do. There was a Pokémart, a gym, houses and a Pokémon Centre. Although it was more than our town, we didn't even have a Pokémon Centre or a Pokémart; at least the people here could go shopping for something. I let out a sigh, wracking my brain for something to do. Nurse Joy refused to let me see Gary for some reason but there was no arguing with the nurse; she turned out to be surprisingly stubborn when she wanted. The worst of the guilt has stopped bubbling in my stomach, but it was still there.

'_Gary you idiot, what did you do that for? It should be me in there, not you."_

"Pssssssst!" someone hissed behind me. Shockwave tilted his head in confusion, his ears twitching trying to locate the sound. I also shook my head, trying to find the source. I then targeted a shady area between a large tree and a house; I could just make out a silhouette in the shadows. I think the voice belonged to it so I crept closer.

"Is anyone there?" I asked, feeling quite nervous. It wasn't every day some random person called you over. Who was lurking in the shade, mind you.

"Ya look like a Pokémon trainer, am I 'rite?" I nodded in response, taking note that Shockwave's fur tensed in my arms at the persons voice, "Yeah, yeah that's good. Listen, I got a deal for ya kiddo. Hows about ya gettin' another Pokémon? Sound good to ya?" it garbled out.

'_Okay, mental check; a man judging from the tone of voice; shady guy, no pun intended, and pretty creepy accent.' _I thought, analysing the man before I replied back. I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but this guy really gave me the creeps. I didn't exactly run into people like this a lot, what with living in Pallet and all, but I knew a shady guy when I saw one. I couldn't fully see him in the shade, he was pretty far back, and he was offering me a Pokémon? It was either a rip off or trick. Either way was bad. But I decided to see what this guy's game was; I had Shockwave with me after all; what could go wrong?

"Yeah okay, what kind of Pokémon is it?" I questioned. I planned to milk this guy for answers until there was no room of suspicion left. There had to be a catch. There was _always_ a catch.

"It's a special one all 'rite," the man continued, stepping back a few steps and sinking further into the dark. I almost took a step forward to follow but then I stopped. Following a shady guy into a secluded area? No thanks that was asking for trouble. A tiny voice at the back of my mind nagged at me that dealing with this guy was trouble in its self but I was only curious. As if I'd actually buy anything from him. The figure then returned and beckoned me closer. I gulped in a breath and unconsciously tightened my grip on Shockwave as I took a few steps forward.

"Just came in this mornin'," he continued, producing a Poké Ball from behind his back. It was blue ball with a yellow 'X' on the front, crisscrossing in the centre where the ball button was. I don't think I've seen that type of ball before but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly intrigued. "I got a rare Pokémon here. Ya won't find it in the wild. All the way from the Sinnoh region its came. What d'ya says? 3000 Poké for this once in a lifetime opportunity?"

I tilted my head in thought, _'I wonder what this 'rare' Pokémon is…should I buy it? 3000 Poké is all I have though… I'd have to battle some trainers to earn some of it back but it might not even be worth it. It could be a Magikarp for all I knew.'_

I lifted my free hand to my chin, "Can I see this 'rare' Pokémon? How do I know it's not a Magikarp or something?" I asked, Shockwave's tail nudging against my stomach didn't help the nervous feeling. This guy was certainly creepy but I got the feeling nothing terrible was around the corner. Still, I kept a tight grip on Shockwave just in case.

His hand recoiled the Poké Ball in surprise at my question and I almost grinned in triumph, stuck in a budge, huh? I knew it was a lie; it was probably a Caterpie or something. But then… his hand extended again, his index finger pressing the middle button. I leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the materialising Pokémon, Shockwave doing the same.

A small blue Pokémon popped out. The legs and top half of the torso painted a black colour. Part of the face was also black, kind of like a mask of sorts that extended to the nose. Crimson eyes blinked up at me and Shockwave. A small blue tail jutted out behind it, hanging limply on the ground. Both arms were also blue, with small white bumps above each wrist. "Rio!" It growled in anger. Its fur bristling before it lunged out at me at a great speed. I lost my breath when it wedged into my stomach causing me to bowl over and release my hold on Shockwave as I crashed onto my back. _'Was that a Quick Attack..?'_

I looked up to see Shockwave's cheeks charging up in anger at the strange Pokémon for what it just done. The other Pokémon, however, turned its back to the mysterious man and lunged again. Shockwave didn't move for it was protecting me, not the man. Its small paw lashed out, palm resting gently on the mans stomach for a second. Just then, a bright green blast burst forth, knocking the man backward further into the shade. My eyes widened at the barbaric Pokémon before us. I'd never seen that Pokémon before, for obvious reasons, I mean I had barely seen the Kanto Pokémon let alone any other region. But if all the Sinnoh Pokémon were like this one, it must be a horrible place. I stood up, ready to command Shockwave to zap it; if I didn't stop it then it might end up really hurting someone or even worse…

"_Don't hurt her. Please. She doesn't mean any harm. Take her. Take her away. Please. Please."_

I groaned out in pain, that same voice as before sliced through my head; it felt like a heavy migraine but then it lifted as soon as the voice stopped speaking. I looked around again, it was a feminine voice but there was no one around except the 4 of us. Who the hell was that? Shaking off the voice, I dragged my Pokédex from my bag, flipping it open to scan the strange Pokémon.

"**Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. Riolu has the peculiar power of being able to see emotions such as joy and rage in the form of waves."**

"Pika!" Shockwave growled in warning as the Pokémon, Riolu, stepped out of the shadows and for the first time I saw what it looked like. I mean really _saw_ it. The blue fur was matted and grizzled; all scruffy and rough. The fur was also dotted with dirt and dust, as though it'd been rolling around the mucky floor all day. Bruises littered its body in certain places and the eyes were dull. It looked awful. The man hadn't been taking very good care of it at all. I could see now why it was so pissed off. That didn't explain the voice though… Riolu bared its teeth and raised its arms up in defence of Shockwave. It was then engulfed in a red light, the Pokémon merging back into its Poké Ball.

"Sorry 'bout that. It's a bit feisty." The man let out a nervous laugh, "so what d'ya says? 3000?" I know I shouldn't do it; I should turn around right now and forget this ever happened. But that voice in my head… it was begging, pleading me to take that Riolu. I couldn't leave it, it was in such a state and it wouldn't get any better with this man. 3000 was a bit steep; it was all I had… but then I smiled as an idea came to mind.

"3000? Are you serious? After what just happened? Be thankful I don't report you to Officer Jenny," I hissed praying this would help to persuade him to lower the price a little bit. When he said nothing I added in a bit more as it came to me, "I _might_ be willing to forget this all ever happened. _If_ you lower your price."

The shadowed figure was silent for a minute and I thought he was going to either laugh or run away. To my surprise he nodded, "I'll give ya it for 2300 Poké then." He grinned, his hands outstretched, the left holding the Poké Ball and the other hand waiting for the money. I inwardly groaned and handed over the correct amount, receiving the Poké Ball in return. I suddenly felt like I had just committed a crime, was buying Pokémon illegal? I think I'd better keep this little incident to myself…

"_T-thank you… please take care of her…" _

The voice whispered again, the headache just a low thud now. I then noticed that the shadowed figure had gone. Hmm how strange. I patted Shockwave on the head as a thank you for before. I didn't really want to let the Riolu out… if it was mad before it might still be pissed. I had to take it to Nurse Joy but she'd completely freak if I told her I'd _bought_ it from a shady guy. Buying and selling Pokémon was well known in all the regions as being illegal but I couldn't leave that Riolu with that man. And if I had ran off to Officer Jenny, as if, the man might have floated off and we'd never see them again and I'd be dubbed as a basket case by Gary and the whole town… Gary! I clipped Riolu's ball to my belt, deciding to call it Kreuz as I ran back toward the Pokémon Centre, Shockwave hot on my heels.

I pushed open the glass doors and strode up to the counter, ignoring looks from waiting trainers that sat around for their Pokémon to be healed. I placed Kreuz's Poké Ball on top of the counter, watching the Chansey fuss over the injured Pokémon that were being tended to. Shockwave hopped up on my shoulder, his cheek nuzzling into mine. I smiled at the affection but then turned back as Nurse Joy rushed to serve me.

"Yes? Can I help you? We're quite busy today." She huffed, likely from running around to the different Pokémon that were brought in. I thought it was quite a rude greeting but she was probably stressed at the moment so I let it slide.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could heal my Riolu? I have a Charmander who I'm ready to pick up and I was wondering if I could see my friend; Gary Oak? He was poisoned and brought in by me and a friend this morning." I asked, flashing a smile to try and persuade her to let me see Gary. She then nodded, too tired or too busy to talk. She snagged Riolu's Poké Ball and then placed a red and white one with it; Flare's ball.

I grinned as I clipped it to my belt before following a Chansey that led me to Gary's room. It left me standing outside a door with the letters **'Room 7'** plastered on the front. I gently knocked once before twisting the door knob and pushing it forward. The room was bathed in white; a small window adorned one of the walls, looking out over Viridian Forest. There was a small night stand next to the bed that Gary slept in. I gulped as I walked closer, the feeling of nausea chewing at my insides while I neared the bed.

'_My fault. This was my fault. My entire fault… Gary you idiot, why did you do that? It should be me lying there, not you.'_ I thought, frowning the whole time. We'd done little adventures over the fence South of Pallet town, went near the salty water hundreds of times but something like this had never happened before; we'd never got seriously hurt. We were always together though. I sighed as I looked at Squirtle, curled up asleep on Garys chest; loyal as ever. I dragged a chair up to the left side of the bed, resting my arms on the bed while gulping in a breath of air. I shifted my blue orbs up to Garys face.

His skin was a ghostly white, almost as white as the rest of the room, save for his flushed pink cheeks. His skin looked really clammy but his breathing was normal. Did he look like that when I came in before? Or did I just not notice? I rested my head on top of my folded arms, leaning so that my temple was resting on the edge of Gary's stomach, my eyes closing. We had only left Pallet Town yesterday… everything's such a mess. What would I tell Gary about Kreuz? Buying and selling Pokémon was illegal… would I get arrested? Would I have to run away? Those kinds of charges were very serious. I mentally scolded myself, why did I even buy that Riolu?

'_Because a voice asked me to…'_

I inwardly groaned, I'd get arrested and put into a mental home if I tried to come up with that excuse. Ugh I just hope Nurse Joy doesn't think I beat it up or something… then I'll be in trouble. My thoughts drifted through my mind as I felt myself dozing off, my hand resting on Garys.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I heard the faint sound of voices whispering in hushed tones, the sound still quite loud. My brain remained foggy as I began to awaken but I kept my eyes shut and my body still; savouring the comfort of the hospital sheets for a little while longer. I then focused on the voices that filled the room,

"You're lucky they got you here on time, it could have been much worse if they left it later." _'It sounded like a girl's voice…'_

"Yeah I know. So I can go soon?" '_This one; a boy. Was it Gary? It sounded quite close to me.'_

"You said you still feel a little dizzy so the poison mightn't have fully gone out of your immune system Mr Oak but I'd like to keep you here for awhile longer. You'll need to not walk around for a few hours either or you might upset the wound on your back. Maybe until morning should be safe, then you can go ahead of your journey. I think it's for the best and you might want to wait for your friend to wake up, she looks really tired." _'Was it me they were talking about?'_

"I do feel a little dizzy but if you say so. Yeah… I'll let her sleep for a little longer. Thanks Nurse Joy."

"Call on me or Chansey if you need anything, yours and your friends Poké Balls are on the tray next to your bed. Oh and please do ask her about that Pokémon, it's all very strange to me." I then heard a clicking noise, the footsteps growing fainter and fainter. Did a door shut? It was then that I noticed my hand was warm, was there something on top of it? I then heard Gary sigh again before what felt like a hand running through my hair. I almost shivered in delight, it felt so relaxing.

"You're such an idiot, Jaden. How could you forget Squirtle…? You could have…" he murmured in thought, his hand running gently though my thick strands of light brown hair. Wait… what did he just say?

"I was watching you battle Vicki…" I muttered, my eyes still closed but I felt his hand sharply withdraw from my hair.

"How long have you been awake?" he questioned in surprise, turning his gaze to stare out the window instead. The sky had turned into a dark grey but it was still a little light out now, it was lucky the Pokémon Centre and the Poké Mart are open 24 hours a day.

"I just woke up then when you said that." I flashed him a tired smile as my eyes fluttered open, "Thanks for letting me sleep, Gary. But I think _you're_ the idiot. Why did you run back? I had everything under control!" I lied, I was about to get stabbed if he didn't run back to get me but I still thought it was a stupid thing to do. Anger then flashed in Garys emerald eyes as he sat up a bit further.

"Are you serious? You were about to get stabbed!" he snapped, his eyes blazing in anger.

"Well you could have avoided getting stabbed if you didn't just lay there on top of me! You're such an idiot!" I growled but then my cheeks flushed pink at my own words. Gary didn't seem affected as he bit out another swift reply.

"Yeah? Well I promised Gramps I'd look after you and if that involves getting stabbed and poisoned instead of you then so be it!" He hissed his eyes screamed annoyance at me. I suddenly felt really bad. He did that because he promised he'd take care of me? Something warm bubbled in my stomach and I felt like a real moron for snapping at him.

"I… I don't know what to say. I'm sorry Gary." I hung my head in defeat; I couldn't argue with that; he had risked his life for me after all. I swallowed thickly as I stood up and bent down to Gary's level, his fists still curled up with his dark mood. Without giving him a chance to avoid or shout anymore, I enveloped him in a hug, my arms looping around his neck. I felt him tense up under my touch, the muscles freezing due to the surprise of the action and then they gradually relaxed. "Thank you for saving me." I whispered in his ear, I felt his own arms tighten around me, hugging me to his body. He was surprisingly warm despite the cold temperature in the room. I let my eyes close, enjoying the moment; it was very rare when anyone got the chance to hug Gary.

"It's okay. Just… don't ever scare me like that again, okay?" He asked back, his voice a little quieter than normal. I felt a little better. The warm bubbling sensation still lurked in my stomach at the thought that he really cared about me that much; we were best friends after all but he'd never been open about it before.

"I know, I promise I won't," I replied back, giving him a squeeze before I reluctantly pulled away. I then dug my hand into my bag, producing Garys Beedrill that he caught before. "Here's that weird Beedrill you caught, I snagged it before you passed out." I explained, placing the said ball into his palm. I sat back down on the chair, resting my arms on his bed again.

"It was a green colour, right? It might be a shiny Pokémon." He grinned. I tilted my head in question; shiny Pokémon? What?

"What's a shiny Pokémon?" I asked, feeling stupid already but the term seemed so vague.

"Huh? Jadey, you're such a loser," he snickered. Back to his old self I see. "A shiny Pokémon is just like a normal Pokémon but it's a different colour and the colour's so vivid that the Pokémon sparkles. But shiny Pokémon are incredibly rare." He explained, eyeing his shiny Beedrills ball. I nodded in understanding; trust Gary Oak to be able to catch a shiny Pokémon. "By the way…" he started, his voice filled with question, "Nurse Joy was telling me that you brought a Pokémon in that was really in bad shape. She said it was a Riolu, she was joking right? They're insanely rare and you can't even get them in Kanto so why would a loser like you have one?" He voiced, seemingly talking to himself more than me.

A small siren went off in my head. I was gonna have to tell him. Buying a Pokémon, he'd tell Nurse Joy who'd tell Officer Jenny who'd hunt me down and then put me in jail. Oh man I was in deep trouble here. Stupid nosey nurse, it's none of her business, she gets sick and beat up Pokémon all the time but I bet she doesn't go asking each individual trainer what and why they were like that. Ugh that really annoyed me. Maybe I could dance around the subject?

"Uh… what's a Riolu? And I have 2 Pokémon remember?" I stated, trying to throw him off. _'Drop it… just drop the subject.'_

"You're a really bad liar, Jadey, I can see your Pokémon from here; you clearly have 3 of them. So where'd you get it? And why was it so beat up? It must have been pretty bad for her to flip like that. Or maybe you made your Pokémon gang up on it? Did you steal it?" he poked, smirking, as I grit my teeth. I couldn't tell him, I wouldn't tell him. I'd just about had enough of the accusations that fell from his mouth. Annoying little…

"Shut up, Gary! It's none of your damn business, or that nosey Nurse Joys!" And with that I hastily snatched my bag up from the floor and grabbed all 3 of my Poké Balls, rushing toward the door. I ignored Garys voice that told me not to go and ran out of the Pokémon centre. I knew he couldn't follow me, Nurse Joy'd have his ass if he was caught trying to leave. I stole brief glances at trainers and Pokémon that flocked in through the door; I squeezed past them and slipped through the door. And right into the rain…

I spat a few curses as I ran to the Pokémon Gym; the huge building not very hard to miss as it was on a slope at the North West side of town. The streets of Pewter City were almost empty at the sudden downpour of rain. The rain wasn't very heavy, it was just a light drizzle. I don't know what made me go to the _gym_ of all places. I don't even know why I ran out of the centre, he was only teasing me. I released a sigh, sitting down on the Gyms steps, my Poké Balls in hand. I'd have to go back at some point. The camping gear was in Gary's bag. I guess I ran because… I was scared. I didn't want Gary to hate me but I couldn't let that Riolu suffer, it was in such a state when it was with that guy. But Gary'd understand why I bought it, right? I've known him since I was about 4 when we moved here, he'd understand, I'm sure of it. I felt my cheeks flush pink; I'm such an idiot. I clipped Flare and Shockwaves balls to my belt; rolling Kreuz's in my hands, an idea forming in my mind. I then pressed the button down in the middle, the Riolu forming in front of me. Its little arms folded across its chest, the crimson eyes glaring at me.

"Uh… hi Kreuz…" I mumbled, suddenly nervous under the intense gaze. "Look, I know you were unhappy with your other trainer but I won't treat you bad, honest. Just ask these guys," I released Flare and Shockwave, both standing in front of Kreuz. Flare hissing because of the rain and Shockwave growling at the female Riolu at the earlier incident. "I've only known them for a short time but they're really important to me, and you are too. I don't know what happened with that other guy, but I'm not like that. Can we be friends?" I smiled, holding my hand out to the Riolu in acceptance, hoping she'd return the favour. It then uncoiled its arms and slowly walked toward me. Hope lit up inside me; did I get through to her? Will she be my friend? It then pressed its paw horizontally to mine.

I almost laughed but then I screamed as a strong light green rippling force fired against my hand. The force of the blow causing my body to slam back down into the gym stairs, my hand going completely numb but before that, I recalled seeing it twist painfully back; I think it was broken. I gripped my broken wrist with my other hand, squeezing my eyes shut and sucking in a breath through clenched teeth. I forced them open to see Shockwave and Flare furiously snarling at the Riolu who had now turned its back on the 3 of us, its arms now tightly tucked into its chest and her nose in the air. I stared in shock; rejection please. I felt for sure that would work. I grit my teeth harder, I'd just have to keep trying at it; it couldn't hate me forever. My wrist felt like it was burning, I could almost feel the broken bones inside shifting around, and it made me feel ill. I looked back through blurry eyes at the Pokémon. Flares tail was furiously swinging near the Riolu, hoping to burn it no doubt and Shockwave's cheeks cackled sparks.

"Guys, it's alright." I gasped out, the pain worsening but I ignored it, hot streams of tears ran down my cheeks, mingling with the fallen rain. I'd never broken a bone before, man it hurt like hell. I wasn't about to let them fight between each other but I was deeply touched that they'd both defend me so. I returned Kreuz into her Poké Ball, remembering to do so with my left hand to avoid further damage to my bones. I picked myself up and shaky legs, the blow of that Force Palm really hurt my back too and I felt really weird; strangely weak. I slowly dragged myself to the Pokémon Centre, Shockwave and Flare walking beside me in silence aside from the occasional mew of concern. Flare being a fire type still naturally groaning about the rain but I didn't mind; my attention was focused sorely on my wrist. The wind had really seemed to pick up now, gushing gales ploughed against me and my Pokémon but we kept moving forward, the rain soaking us. I stopped every few seconds to just breathe in and out; something was wrong. I felt a slow stinging sensation pass through me, almost like pins and needles but growing stronger.

It seemed like forever walking around the gym, my movements slow and sluggish, but eventually I pushed the doors to the centre open, using my back of course as my hand still clasped my sore wrist, trying to prevent any further damage. I was breathing really heavily by now, my vision started to get black spots. _'What the hell is wrong with me?'_ I thought, closing my eyes to try and steady my view. I opened them again, my vision was still blurred and going unfocused.

"Jaden! What the hell are you trying to pull, running off like that? Don't you know there's a storm coming? What were you trying to prove? Don't you know you could have got sick and caught a cold?" I recognised the voice as Garys that scolded from my right; I almost smiled at the thought of him looking like a typical old person, scolding the youth for reckless things. I figured he must have been allowed to walk around the centre and waited for me down here. I was about to reply that he should have stayed resting but I felt my legs give out from under me and Garys alarmed cry sounded next to me, his arms touching my shoulders to keep me from falling flat on my face. My legs and all over my body just felt like jelly. Numbing, stinging muscles twitched as I tried not to pass out. What the hell was going on? Shockwave and Flare also gave cries at my sudden fall, rushing either side of me to try and hold up my weight in vain. I heard Gary shout for Nurse Joy along with murmurs of the trainers that took shelter from the rain and who had now stopped talking and stared or rushed over to help.

"G-Gary..?" I muttered before it all went black.

The End

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**A/N: another chapter up, please enjoy and don't forget to R&R! :D If you have any questions or suggestions then please don't be shy. Man, these chapters seem to be getting longer! Thanks so much for the reviews, favourites and alerts guys, it really makes my day. :D Keep reading! **

**~ Jadeth**


	6. Let It Loose

**Better than You**

**Chapter 6**

**Let It Loose**

_I was about to reply but I felt my legs give out from under me and Garys alarmed cry sounded next to me, his arms touching my shoulders to keep me from falling flat on my face. Shockwave and Flare also gave cries at my sudden fall. I heard Gary shout for Nurse Joy along with murmurs of the trainers that took shelter from the rain._

"_G-Gary..?" I muttered before it all went black._

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I blinked. A bright white light flooded my eyes before I closed them. I let out a groan. My body felt stiff, as though unused for days. What had happened?

"Nurse Joy! She's awake!" I could recognise Gary's voice easily this time, it was right by my ear. I then heard a rushing of footsteps approaching and something warm took my hand as another pair tried to pry open my eyes. I recoiled back, crinkling my nose and shying away. I opened my eyes to see Nurse Joy, a small flashlight in her hands and the other trying to rip my eyelids off. I then spotted Gary who grasped my hand in his; probably from relief, I'm guessing? I also noticed it was light outside. The sky was just a huge blanket of white and grey; how long had I been asleep? I growled and smacked the Nurse's hands away when she tried to pry my eyelids open again.

"What the hell are you trying to do to me?" I hissed, my hand hovering near my face to protect it; but I kept my hand that was in Gary's still.

"I'm _trying _to look into your eyes. I tried it before but you slapped me in the face," she replied rudely in a know-it-all fashion, her hands on her hips as she shot me a disapproving look.

"Well it serves you right. Besides you could have asked me to open them just then instead of trying to poke my eyes out! What do you need to see them for anyway? You psychopath!" I snapped, my eyes burning into hers. She was trying to blind me, I'm sure she was. I saw her eyes narrow as she was about to reply but Gary got there first.

"Girls, knock it off! Look Nurse Joy, I think she's back to her old self now, we'll probably check out in a minute," Gary interrupted, trying to keep the peace.

"She certainly is," came the snobby reply again; I bit my tongue to keep myself from answering, knowing I'd end up starting a full blown argument. So much for her being a professional nurse; she's terrible! That's the last time I'm bringing my Pokémon here, that's for sure. I kept my eyes on her as she walked through the door, expecting her to throw knives at me or something.

Gary sighed when the door clicked shut, his attention focused back on me. He seemed to think about what to say next. "Where did you go? What happened?" he questioned, eyes closed, his hands still holding mine; but I don't think he noticed he was still holding them. I swallowed a lump in my throat that I didn't know was growing before I answered.

"Um… I went to the gym but it was closed," I said slowly, looking down in my lap.

"Well obviously, it was like half 12 at night. What about your hand?" he asked, then I realised that my wrist had a small cast on it, to prevent it from bending; and that was the hand that Gary held in his own.

"Uh..."

"Jaden, I know you have a Riolu. Did it attack you? I knew you were a bad trainer but c'mon." he scoffed, his eyes rolling.

"I… I don't know," I sighed, ignoring his last comment. "I think she had a bad trainer before so she doesn't really trust anyone anymore and maybe that's why she attacked me? I don't know. Do you know why I passed out?"

"Not really… I think it was something to do with you running out in the freezing rain and getting paralysed from the Riolu's Force Palm? …Well, it doesn't matter now. Shall we go and get our gym badge? I think we've stayed here long enough, don't you? I'm sick of his centre already," he stated, a smile crossing his face as he stood up. I nodded, feeling much better about the past day or so. I was glad that he didn't ask about how I came across Kreuz; I'd explain later if it came to that.

Gary then left the room after explaining that he'd head over to the gym first and that I should follow when I'm ready. I quickly changed clothes into jeans and a long sleeved shirt with a small jacket on top, while making a mental note to buy a backpack from the Poké Mart. I then headed outside, making sure to grab my Pokémon while trying to stay out of that psycho nurse's sight. I strolled over to the gym; I think it was a 3 on 3 battle so I was kind of glad I had Kreuz, but she would be used as a last resort.

It was still raining lightly when I stepped outside the double doors of the centre. It must have rained all night judging from the wet dew on the grass. I liked the rain. There was no one on the streets when it rained and I thought it was really calming to walk in alone. I examined my wrist as I walked; it was wrapped in a thick plaster that was secured around the edges by extra tape. I frowned when I remembered last night's incident. I didn't blame Riolu but I'd never have thought she'd attack me; I didn't even try and hurt her.

I shrugged to myself as I passed the 'Pewter Museum of Science'. The tall red building was probably the biggest in the small town; second would be the gym of course. It was a pretty straight forward walk from the museum; it was just around a bended pathway. On my way I began to scroll through my Pokédex data; looking up type advantages and weaknesses of my Pokémon. Soon enough, I came to stand in front of the Pokémon gym. A sign out front read,

"**Pewter City Pokémon Gym **

**Leader: Brock**

**The Rock-Solid Pokémon Trainer"**

I smirked. So this was the place. The little sign made this Brock seem very confident. I strolled up the cobble stairs confidently up to the heavy-looking double doors. I pressed them open before stepping inside; it seemed dark but it was more or less empty inside. I had walked into a small room and at the far end of this room was a door. A gym door perhaps? I could hear the faint cries of Pokémon break through it as I eagerly approached; Gary must not be finished with his battle, huh? It sounded intense though from what I could make out and that made me nervous. I had no chance of beating this guy if Gary couldn't. I began to take a few steps forward to witness the battle first hand when an arm shot out and almost strangled me as it halted me by the neck from going any further.

"Hey, hey, what do you think you're doing!" a small voice asked. I stumbled back to get a better look at him. He was quite chubby, had thick black rimmed glasses and wore black pants and a white shirt. "The challenger, a Mr Gary Oak, is currently battling the gym leader," he stated smugly, a very slight lisp was in his voice if you listened closely. Well obviously.

"Yeah I know that, I'm his friend I want to see their battle." I tried to advance again but he blocked me.

"No can do. Leader Brock doesn't like witnesses when the trainers battle him; it affects their concentration," he stated again, pushing his glasses further up his nose. I nodded in understanding; that made sense I guess.

"Do you know how long they'll be?" I questioned a little impatiently. I didn't feel like waiting around all day and I was not going back to that Pokémon Centre where that psycho was waiting for me.

"It will take as long as it-"

The doors that we stood in front of opened then, cutting the boy off. Two figures then walked out; Gary and Brock. They seemed to be smiling and talking to each other before they spotted us standing there. Gary was the first to speak to me. "Jadey, there you are! He's all yours, I've already got my Boulder Badge, see?" He smirked, flashing his new badge out in front of me.

"That's nice, _Gary_ but I'll look at my own badge once I've got it," I countered before I took a look at his Boulder Badge. I then turned to Brock, "You're Brock, right? I'm Jaden and I'd like to challenge you to a battle."

Brock turned to me then. He had naturally tanned skin with messy dark brown hair that spiked up in all directions; he wore an orange long sleeved v-neck shirt with a smaller black shirt underneath and grey-green pants with light brown shoes. His black eyes looked into mine, but they weren't intimidating; they were boiling with confidence. **(A/N: His HeartGold & SoulSilver art work)**

"Nice to meet you, Jaden. I'm Brock, the Gym Leader here in Pewter. Shall we get under way with the match?" he spoke calmly, as though the battle with Gary had never happened at all.

"Uh… didn't you just lose to Gary?" I questioned but then thought better of it from his raised eyebrow. "What I mean is, don't you have to heal your Pokémon?" I spoke shyly, my hands folding behind my back.

"The leader has many different kinds of Pokémon," the boy said again, tilting his glasses up smugly. At my puzzled look, he continued, "Gym leaders have many Pokémon that they use for battling. They don't just use the same ones; they have many that they use to fight trainers. Get it now?"

That made sense, I suppose so I nodded in understanding. Brock smiled slightly at me before leading the way into the gym with me in tow. Gary and that strange kid waited outside as the doors slid shut. Not before Gary shouted an encouraging, "Good luck, Jadey. You're gonna need it with _your_ Pokémon."

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The next room was _huge!_ I gawked like a Magikarp out of water; I guess this was why the gym structures were always huge. Brock instructed me kindly to stand on the far end of the room, facing him. In between us lay a field that was littered with rocks and boulders, all shapes and sizes. A boy then came out of a different door; his hair was jet black in colour and the style the same as Brock's before he stood at the edge of the field, in between me and Brock. Brock had explained on the way in here that we would have a referee; Oscar, his name was. He then raised his arms.

"The challenger, Jaden from Pallet Town, wishes to battle Pewter City's gym leader, Brock. This will be a 3 on 3 match. Begin!" And with that, his arms flashed downward.

Brock released his Pokémon, a Geodude, into the field. I was familiar with Geodude, a common rock type. I released Flare from his Poké Ball who eagerly cried out, swishing his tail around. It was a trait of Flare's that I had come to recognise when he was eager or angry.

"Geodude, use Rollout!" Brock commanded, his voice echoing through the gym. The rock Pokémon coiled its self up, its arms folding over each other in a cross shape, before it rolled toward Flare at an alarming rate. The dust from the rocky floor flew in to the air as Geodude sailed forward.

"Flare, dodge out the way!" I cried, watching as Geodude narrowly missed the fire Pokémon when he dived to the right. However, the dodge caused Flare to land funny and resulted in him falling on his stomach due to his stubby legs not being able to leap high or far enough.

The Geodude ricocheted from a smooth surfaced boulder before rolling back to Flare faster than before, never breaking its continuation of the roll. I was about to command Flare to dodge again but before I could blink Geodude had slammed into Flare, electing a cry of pain as he thudded against the ground. Geodude circled the field before heading towards my Charmander again.

I wracked my brain for a command that'd work. Rock types were solid, literally, so Scratch wouldn't work… I knew his Ember wouldn't do much but I didn't really have any other choice right now.

"Flare, Ember!" I called. Flare opened his mouth and unleashed a string of embers toward the upcoming Geodude. They hissed and sizzled as they made contact with the rolling rock Pokémon; it didn't stop the relentless assault but it did slow it down a bit.

To my horror, they made contact again making Flare slam against a boulder on the field, breaking it to pieces. Geodude then stopped rolling, its arms uncoiling to rest at its sides. I saw Flare didn't get up no matter how many times I called him so I recalled him back to his Poké Ball when Oscar called it, "Flare is unable to battle, Geodude is the winner."

I grit my teeth; that Rollout was strong, really strong and it made Geodude faster than it should be. I knew Flare would be at a disadvantage but I didn't think it would be this bad. _'He is a Gym Leader, after all. He needs to be strong,'_ I thought bitterly as my fingers ghosted over Kreuz's Poké Ball. She wouldn't listen… I know she wouldn't. My fingers then twitched over to Shockwave. Shockwave was fast but he wouldn't do much damage; a Geodude's defence is its highest stat and if Thunder Shock and Quick Attack are ineffective then I don't really have much choice.

"Kreuz, let's go!" I called, hurling her Poké Ball into the centre. With a flash of red light, my Riolu appeared, small arms crossed defensively over her chest like last time, her eyes forward to focus on Geodude.

"Interesting Pokémon, but you'll need more than a type advantage to beat me," Brock stated, apparently already aware that Kreuz was a fighting type. He was good. He knew his stuff inside out; a gym leader indeed.

"Kreuz, Force Palm!" I called, remembering the damage it had done before today. Silence. No actions, no movement; no nothing. To my dismay, she sat on the ground, her small blue tail limp behind her as she crossed her legs and waited. Waited for what, I have no idea. I tried again, "Kreuz, use Force Palm on Geodude!" but then again, I got nothing; no reaction at all. My face felt like it was heating up with embarrassment, this was horrible. Ugh I was going to lose for sure if Kreuz didn't listen to me soon. I bet I look like such a newbie right now…

"Enough of this, Geodude use Rock Throw!" And with that, his faithful rock Pokémon began beating its solid fists into the rock below, creating sharp stones to rise up into the air before Geodude punched them toward Kreuz; forcing the sharp projectiles to launch toward her as she sat on the floor, oblivious to my orders.

"Kreuz, dodge it!" I shouted and by some small ray of hope, she listened. In a flash, she quickly leapt to her legs, dived out the way to the right then charged toward the Geodude at full speed. I remember reading in the Pokédex on the way over here that Riolu had good speed and attack power, much faster than Geodude anyway. I grinned; Brock would be at a disadvantage if Kreuz attacked.

"Geodude, grab it!" Brock roared. His Geodude seemed to nod and hold its arms out at the ready on either side of it. Kreuz continued to charge, her paw seeming to light up with a white glow behind it before striking at Geodude when she got in range. True to his trainer's word, Geodude lashed out; arms clamping on either side of Kreuz to prevent movement as she was lifted above the ground, squirming and twisting in its grasp; the white glow of the Drain Punch fading.

She then released a small growl of anger before swinging one of her legs out, dealing a Low Kick to the surprised Geodude. It cried out in surprise before releasing Kreuz and rolling backward from the force of the blow. Before it had a chance to recover she darted forward again, the white glow of the Drain Punch charging up then slamming into the startled Geodude's face. The white glow spread across the Geodude like a thick barrier, before quickly retracting back into Kreuz's paw; draining the energy from Geodude. She then jumped backward a few steps, swift as ever; Geodude remained motionless. I couldn't help but gawk in awe; she was so… _strong._

"Geodude is unable to battle; Kreuz is the winner," Oscar announced again as Brock recalled it. Good, it was even now.

Brock returned Geodude. His face remained expressionless like it had been through out the entire match. "Go, Onix!" he shouted, his Poké Ball revealing a huge rock snake. I almost stepped back in shock; to say it was huge was an understatement. Its body was like a huge chain of boulders; the head would surely rip through the ceiling if it straightened out a bit more. This one wouldn't be as easy, not at all.

"Onix, use Dig!" Brock commanded. With an ear splitting roar, Onix literally dove into the ground, tunnelling through it as though the rocky surface was made of paper. In a matter of seconds, it was completely submerged in the ground.

"Kreuz, run around the field to try and confuse Onix as to where you are!" I tried, but she chose not to listen, instead jumping up onto a nearby rock and sitting down peacefully. "Kreuz! Get out of the way!" I yelled again but she refused to even acknowledge my presence, let alone listen. I closed my eyes as we all heard the grinding of the Onix beneath the ground when, seconds later, it smashed through the layers of rocks and dirt to emerge right under Kreuz, like a giant sand shark. Rocks, boulders and my Riolu all went flying at the sheer force behind the attack.

Kreuz landed a few feet away on her back; scratches and bruises littered her body at the attack. The Onix then let loose another roar, almost rocking the entire gym.

"Kreuz, get up! Please get up!" I called; it was only one attack… can his Onix be that strong..? He's still got one Pokémon left too… this was turning bad. How could I beat something so big and strong?

"Ri…" Kreuz snarled from her position as she rose to her feet on shaky legs. She was a stubborn one, I'll give her that.

"Onix, Screech," Brock ordered. His giant Pokémon unleashed an ear splitting screech; I had to cover my ears to stop myself from going deaf it was so loud. I creaked my eyes open to call a command to my Riolu but it was quickly drowned out by the deafening Screech. Kreuz, meanwhile, had placed her paws over her ears in a vain attempt to block the sound out.

"Onix, Dig again!" Brock called. The sound then came to a halt as it buried underground again. I knew I had to act fast.

"Kreuz, when it's about to emerge, dodge then use Drain Punch to get your energy back!" I commanded, praying that she'd at least listen to me this once. I then saw her close her eyes; concentrating on the vibrations below. They then snapped open seconds before she dove to the side; Onix tearing through the earth behind her, just missing by inches. She then doubled back, her paw glowing white as it contacted with Onix; draining the life from it. It gave a roar of pain before collapsing on the ground. Kreuz jumped back, her cuts and bruises now faded with the new energy.

"Kreuz, use Low Kick while it's down!" I shouted. But before she could so much as take a step, Brock commanded Onix to use Rock Throw. Its tail literally swept the rocks on the field before throwing them toward Kreuz. She howled in pain as they smashed into her body, her scratches and cuts returning as more boulders contacted her.

However, going back to her old self, she ran up when the attack was over and leaped on Onix's head. She pressed her paw to the rocky body, unleashing a Force Palm that knocked it unconscious with the huge blast of force; striking a critical hit. The gym shook with the force of the fallen Pokémon, almost like a mini earthquake. Oscar called my win again. Now it was 2-1 to me.

Brock recalled his Onix in silence just like he did with Geodude. He was down to his final Pokémon; fantastic! Keep it up like we're doing and we'll win this. I glanced over to Kreuz to find her kneeling down, panting. I recalled her into her Poké Ball; she wouldn't be any use if she was too tired. I knew Shockwave wouldn't do much damage in a Rock Pokémon gym but if I could tire his next Pokémon out then Kreuz won't have to use as much effort. I threw Shockwave's Poké Ball out into the field, my little mouse emerging from it.

"Pika!" he eagerly chirped, his paws pumping into fists.

"I must warn you beforehand, this Pokémon doesn't look very strong but don't underestimate its power." Brock then unclipped his last Poké Ball before hurling it onto the field. I almost leaned forward to get a view of it. It looked like a small green reptile. A sharp spine stood on the top of its head, triangular marks curved downward below its ruby eyes. It had stubby arms and legs, a red diamond marking on the belly and two diamond black holes on either side of it. The tail looked like a pine cone that curved outward in appearance. I swiftly whipped my Pokédex out, aiming it at the strange Pokémon.

"**Larvitar, the Rock Skinned Pokémon. Larvitar is born deep under the ground. To come up to the surface, this Pokémon must eat its way through the soil above. Until it does so, Larvitar cannot see its parent's face."**

I clicked my tongue in thought; what a strange Pokémon. It certainly didn't look that strong so why did Brock warn me like he did? He said not to underestimate it but it couldn't be that bad, right?

"Shockwave, use Quick Attack!" I called. He zoomed forward to the Larvitar, dodging the fallen boulders and rocks from Onix's Rock Throw.

"Larvitar, use Ancient Power!" Brock yelled. Larvitar closed its eyes for a few seconds; a silver ball of energy formed in front of its mouth, growing bigger and bigger. Its crimson eyes then snapped open, launching the ball forward with a nod of its head. Shockwave was heading straight towards it.

"Shockwave, dodge out of the way!" But I called it too late. Shockwave and the ball hit head on, exploding in the field, sending my electric mouse back to thud on the floor. His fur was matted and scuffled from the impact of the ball. I grit my teeth as he shakily stood up again, panting with the effort. It was only one hit but I could see another hit like that knocking him out and then I'd be forced to use Kreuz, who was already exhausted.

"Larvitar, use Bite!" Brock ordered. The Larvitar nodded before charging towards my fallen Pikachu. It wasn't fast, not at all compared to Kreuz and Shockwave; but its power made up for it. Its mouth opened wide, ready to clamp onto Shockwave as soon as it was in range. A little light bulb then went off in my head; if he was going to faint soon then I needed to make him do the most he can.

"Shockwave, use Quick Attack and grab on to Larvitar!" I commanded. He flopped down to all four paws then shot forward, obeying my order. He then smashed into Larvitar, knocking them both backward before he could be bitten. My Pikachu's little paws then gripped onto the Larvitar's arms to secure its grip in what looked like an awkward hug.

"Larvitar, shake it off!" Brock yelled, his hands his curled into fists; did he catch on to what we were trying to do? The little green Pokémon then started to thrash its body around, running around wildly at an attempt to shake Shockwave off. _'Come on, just a little more…' _I thought as I witnessed Larvitar throw my Pikachu around, crashing into boulders and rocks trying to throw him off. Shockwave was already weakened and I hoped he'd hang on just long enough for this.

Larvitar then let out a loud wail; Shockwave's static fur had touched him long enough to cause paralysis. "Well done, Shockwave you can let go now!" I grinned. I knew I could count on my Pikachu. Now it was paralysed, Larvitar'd be slower than it already was.

"Quick Attack!" I called; it wouldn't do much damage but it was a start. They were already close where they stood so the Quick Attack was a direct hit. Larvitar cried out as it was flung backwards; damage was minimal but it still cried from the force of it.

"Use Rock Throw, Larvitar!" Brock ordered. The small Pokémon then picked up rocks before hurling them towards Shockwave, each one hitting in succession; I knew he was too tired to dodge anymore. He gave another cry before toppling over; trying to rise to his feet again.

"Wait! I forfeit my Pikachu, don't hurt him anymore," I asked, running out to pick him up. Brock nodded and Oscar called it a win to Larvitar. Now it was one on one. Kreuz versus Larvitar. Shockwave murmured against me as I carried him back, keeping most of his weight off my cast, his ears flat. "It's okay, Shockwave, you were amazing," I reassured before returning him back to his Poké Ball. I then released Kreuz onto the field, her fur still matted and bruised from the Onix.

"Kreuz, it's just you and Larvitar now. Do your best," I called but she paid no attention even if she was listening to me. At least she could stand upright with no problems so maybe this'd be okay. So why was my stomach tying its self into knots?

"Larvitar, Bite!" Brock exclaimed, leaning forward in anticipation. Larvitar started to move forward, its jaw opening like before. It latched onto Kreuz before we had a chance to react. She gave a startled cry as the green reptile bit down harder, thrashing its head to cause more damage to the Riolu.

"Kreuz, Force Palm to get it away!" I yelled. To my surprise, she listened and delivered a swift blast of energy into the Larvitars face; causing a critical hit. It then flopped to the ground; unconscious. Wait, was that it?

Oscar waited for a few seconds to see if it'd rise or not before declaring victory to us. My mouth immediately formed into a grin. I pumped my fists into the air, _'We won! We actually won! My first gym badge!" _I thought. I then started to laugh before running out onto the field to sweep Kreuz up into a hug, twirling her around in joy. She seemed surprised but didn't make any move to hurt me. I then placed her on the floor as Brock walked over, his hand outstretching to place a small badge in my palm, the one that wasn't covered by the cast.

"I took you for granted, and so I lost. This is the official League Boulder Badge. I suggest you travel to Cerulean Gym through Mt. Moon in the East. There your skills will be tested again. If you'll excuse me, I must be going." He smiled then bowed before walking off through the back entrance of the Gym and out of sight. I then turned back to Kreuz who stood with her arms folded. I noticed an angry red marking on her upper arm from the Bite attack. I'd have to get that fixed up.

"Kreuz, thank you so much. You were all amazing." I laughed at her confused expression and wide eyes at my thanks but I didn't think much of it. I motioned toward the door with my head and again she nodded before walking in front of me. I practically beamed at this; she was listening to me! I pushed the double doors open to reveal Gary and that strange boy talking. I cringed at what the boy had been bragging about. Although Gary appeared to be the one bragging, not the other way around; typical of him. They turned their heads in our direction when we emerged from the double doors.

"Sheesh, Jadey I thought I'd be in here all day, so did ya lose?" He taunted, that stupid smirk growing on his face again.

"I won, _actually."_ I snorted, flashing my new badge in his face. Kreuz stood next to me, her head reaching my hips if you counted the ears. She was taller than Flare or Shockwave. "Kreuz here was a big help." I motioned toward her, smiling. She growled lightly and turned her head away however. Still needs more work on the trust issue but that could wait.

"I see. It's a good job you did have her otherwise winning with a fire and electric type would have been almost impossible." He stated, standing up with his backpack hauled over his shoulder. "Shall we get going then? Or do your Pokemon need healing?"

I grimaced, "I don't really want to go back to that psycho nurse…" I mumbled to myself.

"It is a trainer's duty to ensure the safety of their Pokemon." The kid spoke up again, his nose held high in the air. "I would recommend you take them there immediately." I grumbled but I knew he was right. I nodded and told Gary I'd meet him at the East entrance of town when I was done.

I hobbled down the cobble stone roads toward the Pokemon centre, Kreuz still beside me. I was actually surprised she was still following me. We hurried to the Pokemon Centre where I handed my Pokemon and Kreuz over to one of the Chansey on duty. Nurse Joy was apparently busy in the back rooms so I practically snatched my Pokemon back from Chansey when they were done before bolting out the door; Flare coming out of his ball to walk with me.

I stocked up on supplies at the Poke Mart before going to meet up with Gary. I had bought a new backpack to replace my bag; it was much too small for the things we'd have to eventually carry. Flare had nuzzled against my side when I packed my new items into the backpack. I laughed before giving him a pat on the head. He wasn't much use in the Gym battle, I'll admit, but he had really tried and that's all I could ask for.

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I waved to Gary as we neared the exit, his Squirtle standing by his legs. He smiled back as we walked along route 3. It seemed pretty busy for 11am. Trainers were looking or were currently taking part in a battle. I looked off to my right to find a group of 4 trainers doing a double battle. On one side was an unusual blue, black and yellow cat Pokemon, sparks emitting from its tail and fur. Paired with that was what looked like a load of blue tentacles with red feet standing there. I whipped my Pokédex out when we stopped to look; apparently this had attracted Gary's attention too. I pointed mine at the blue cat like Pokemon.

"**Shinx, the Flash Pokemon. The extension and contraction of its muscles generates electricity. Its fur glows when it's in trouble. It currently resides mainly in the Sinnoh Region." ** Ah so it was a foreign Pokemon? Awesome! I heard Garys Pokédex beep out the information on the other one; I leaned over his shoulder to get a better look.

"**Tangela, the Vine Pokemon. Tangela's vines snap off easily if they are grabbed. This happens without pain, allowing it to make a quick getaway. The lost vines are replaced by newly grown vines the very next day. Tangela is mainly found in forest and dense grassy areas." **We then turned our gazes to the opposite team.

A small blue, red and white bird flapped overhead, the tail jutting out into 2 small branches. On the ground underneath that stood a yellow and white Pokemon. The appeared to have scales that made a strange horizontal pattern, it was complete with sharp claws on the paws and feet as well as a small tail and big black eyes. I pointed my Pokédex at the yellow Pokemon while Gary did likewise to the bird Pokemon.

"**Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokemon. Sandshrew has a very dry hide that is extremely tough. The Pokémon can roll into a ball that repels any attack. At night, it burrows into the desert sand to sleep. Sandshrew is commonly located in desert areas."**

"**Taillow, the TinySwallow Pokemon. Taillow courageously stands its ground against foes, however strong they may be. This gutsy Pokémon will remain defiant even after a loss. On the other hand, it cries loudly if it becomes hungry. This Pokemon is commonly found in the Hoenn Region."**

Flare and Squirtle had now sat on the ground, wanting to watch the Pokemon battle commence. However, two little girls had run up to us, each wore the same yellow dress with a red ribbon in their hair; twins.

"Won't you both have a battle with us?" One of them asked sweetly, her hands winding around her back as she swayed back and forth. I looked at Gary to see what he wanted to do. He nodded to the little girl and smiled before we walked over to a different location so our battles wouldn't collide with anyone else. Gary ordered Squirtle out onto the field, I did likewise with Flare. Both of them eagerly stood side by side. I hadn't done a double battle before but it was really exciting doing it with Gary.

The little girls then sent out a Pidgey that immediately took flight above us and a Pikachu; both female judging from the pretty pink ribbons they had. Gary told Squirtle to use Water Gun on the Pidgey. A steady stream of liquid burst from Squirtles mouth, scoring a direct hit on the bird, sending it crashing back to the ground; the feathers soaking wet. It looked tired from just that one hit, it was either not very strong or Gary had really trained Squirtle up.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack on Charmander." The other girl said in that same sugar coated voice, as though she was trying to sweet talk her mother into buying something expensive. Her Pikachu cried out before darting forward, effectively slamming into Flare sending him spiralling backward. I commanded him to deliver an Ember attack straight at the said Pikachu; another hit as it sizzled her fur all over, electing a burn.

"Pidgey, use Sand Attack!" the other twin cried. The little bird flapping its wings, the sand scattered on the ground now rose up into the air with the current gales of wind and right into Squirtles eyes. He cried out as his little paws came up to try and get the sand out of his eyes. "Anne, he's all up to you." She said, turning to her twin sister.

Anne nodded before ordering her Pikachu to use a Thunder Shock at Squirtle. I saw Gary grit his teeth next to me; that might knock him unconscious if it hit, what with Squirtle being a water type and all.

"Flare, get in front of Squirtle!" I yelled, my fire Pokemon skidding over to stand in front of the fallen turtle. The Thunder Shock then hit dead on, zapping Flare instead of Squirtle. Flare stumbled for a minute before turning back to me and smiling; indicating that he was alright. Gary then turned to me in surprise but I paid him no mind. I couldn't help but smile at the twins' angry expressions that their combination attack failed.

"Get rid of that Charmander, use Quick Attack again Pikachu!" Anne shouted, her 'cute' voice disappearing. The little mouse jolted forward again, the burn on its side causing it pain as it moved.

"Flare, knock it back with Tail Whip!" I countered. When Pikachu was about to hit, Flare swung his flamed tail into its face, repelling it from hitting him as it crashed next to him. "Scratch, Flare!" I called again, causing Flare's sharp claws to rake across the mouse's back.

"Meg, don't just stand there, help me!" Anne snapped at her sister, who was watching the ordeal. Meg then seemed to snap out of her trance, ordering her Pidgey to use Tackle on Flare to get him off Pikachu. Gary then acted; telling Squirtle to use Bubble. A jet of bubbles then broke from Squirtles mouth, heading straight toward the upcoming Pidgey. The little bird cried as the bubbles that contacted it popped and caused damage. It then crashed to the ground, immobile as Pikachu also failed to stand up.

Gary flashed them both a cocky smirk before declaring victory. They both seemed to pout as they bitterly recalled their fallen Pokemon. Flare ran back to my waiting arms, his mouth open in what looked like a grin. I caught him as he leaped at me and I sent my thank you to him. Gary did like wise with his Squirtle before we walked off, leaving both the twins to argue about what they should have done after they had gave us prize money. I could tell he was getting stronger, maybe he was close to evolving? I couldn't wait for it but I had hoped that he wouldn't change. On the TV it had mentioned that some Pokemon change their personalities if they evolve and I didn't want to lose Flare, he was so happy and gentle.

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Me and Gary just talked between us on the way to Mt. Moon about the Gym Battle. Brock had apparently used a Rhyhorn instead of a Larvitar in his battle with Gary. But Gary had easily had the type advantage with Squirtle and Beedrill. I wondered if Flare would be useful in the next gym... or Kreuz and Shockwave for that matter. I could see the entrance to Mt. Moon up ahead. The mountain its self was _huge_ in height. It was no wonder that even experienced Hikers had to walk through it and not over.

It was named Mt. Moon due to the frequent meteor falls that it had during some nights. I awed at it for a moment before Gary called me forward. As we stepped inside, we were greeted by Hikers, kids and other trainers. It wasn't very dark inside like I was expecting, it was actually quite light. There wasn't any sparkling rocks or glittering moon beams; it looked just like a normal cave.

Gary moved first and I followed suit. It was actually a lot bigger than I thought, the twists and turns we took made my head spin but I was thankful that Gary actually knew where to go. I hoped he knew at least. We then climbed down two ladders leading us to the 'basement' of the mountain. I had to carry Flare in one arm when we went down while Squirtle was content enough to grab onto Garys head. The basement was quite dark but it was manageable with Flare's tail.

I couldn't help but think back to Viridian Forest. Gary had risked his life for me then, he could have died; his Pokemon journey cut short because I had acted foolishly. I shook my head of those thoughts. I'd just have to be careful in the future, really careful. We looped around another bend, Gary crashing into a man causing them both to stumble back. I gripped Gary's shoulders as he almost knocked into me, his Squirtle protesting to the stranger who had bumped into his master.

I slid around Garys shoulder, my eyes focusing on the man. He was a bit chubby, wore black clothing with a strange red 'R' painted on the shirt, black boots and gloves and a black hat to top it off. Wait; was this a member of Team Rocket?

"Hey, watch were yous are goin'!" he barked out. I gasped as the voice registered in my brain as the one who had sold me Kreuz. A Team Rocket member here in Mt. Moon? He then tilted his head to the side, studying me. A light bulb then went off in his head.

"It's you!" we both shouted at the same time, pointing an accusing finger at the other. One of my Pokeballs then popped open, revealing a furious Kreuz snarling at the Rocket member.

The End

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**A/N: I'm sorry if the gym battle ended a little short, it went on for too long and I just wanted it to end. Reviews are highly appreciated; thank you very much to those who have reviewed! Any questions/criticisms then don't hesitate to tell me. Until next time,**

**~ Jadeth**


	7. Watching The Rain

**Better Than You**

Chapter 7

Watching the Rain

_"Hey, watch were yous are goin'!" he barked out. I gasped as the voice registered in my brain as the one who had sold me Kreuz. A Team Rocket member here in Mt. Moon? He then tilted his head to the side, studying me. A light bulb then went off in his head._

"It's you!" we both shouted at the same time, pointing an accusing finger at the other. One of my Poké Balls then popped open, revealing a furious Kreuz snarling at the Rocket member.

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It startled me when Kreuz popped out of her Poké Ball; I had forgotten that they could do that. I turned my attention back to the bulky Rocket Grunt in front of me, Flare at my side. Gary stood a few steps behind us, his green eyes cautious.

"It don't matter no more anyways. We're Team Rocket, we strike fear with our Pokémon!" The large grunt then narrowed his eyes from under his black hat, his grubby fingers reaching for his Pokémon. Gary had to wince at his bad grammar and accent. He then thrust his Poké Ball forward, a Sandshrew appearing.

"Use Sand Attack, Sandshrew!" he called. His little shrew then dug its claws into the ground before dragging them back up and throwing sand in the air toward us. Kreuz hissed when the sand blinded her, her paws trying to vainly wipe the sand out. I grit my teeth and was about to tell her a command but Gary beat me to it.

"Squirtle, Water Gun," he called unimpressed, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his tan pants as though he was merely deciding what to have for dinner. Squirtle stepped forward then released a steady jet of water at the unsuspecting Sandshrew; causing a super effective hit. It rolled backward in front of the bulky Rocket grunt, unconscious. The Rocket member then growled in frustration before releasing a blue bat-like Pokémon.

"Zubat, Supersonic!" he called, his grubby hand clenching the Poké Ball tightly. The Zubat then unleashed an ear splitting screech, the semi transparent waves hitting Squirtle dead on. It was kinda creepy the way his pupils disappeared, leaving only ruby irises. It then turned toward me, its eyes vacant and dead-looking. Actually it reminded me of those old Pokémon Zombie films that were always on the TV.

"Gary what's up with your Squi-" I choked as Squirtle's water gun hit me in the face. It was only water but damn it was strong enough to make my head fall back from the force. I coughed and spluttered when the stream stopped; opening my eyes through the wetness to see Squirtle was now charging toward Kreuz in a Tackle Attack. "Oh no! Gary, stop him!" I called in a panic, fearing what my Riolu would do. If she attacked me, then what would she do to Squirtle?

Well we were about to find out when he slammed into the unsuspecting Riolu, causing them both to smack against the ground. The little turtle then sat up, his small paws rubbing his head as his pupils returned into focus. I sighed in relief but then winced inwardly as a Low Kick was delivered to the poor turtle, sending him sprawling on the ground again. Gary immediately turned to me.

"Hey, what the hell's her problem? It wasn't Squirtles fault!" he snapped, walking forward to pick his Pokémon back up. I stared blankly for a minute before a cry from the Zubat sounded out. My gaze shifted over to the two Pokémon before me; the Zubat was now on the floor, a Drain Punch from Kreuz pinning it to the ground while it sucked the energy right from it. Soon enough, the small bat lay limply on the floor, its trainer furiously recalling it. Flare called out to it but was ignored.

Kreuz then hissed at my Charmander before lunging at the Rocket Grunt, paw held back to strike. I almost dropped her Poké Ball in the excitement but I managed to recall her back in time, her form disappearing in a glow of red light before she reached the Grunt. I sighed in relief and hastily stuffed the ball back into my bag. Flare growled at the man but he quickly turned tail and ran; merging into the shadows of the cave and leaving us behind looking after him. Flare's tail cast a warm glow around us as Gary marched up behind us, his Squirtle being carried in his arms.

"You really need to control that Riolu of yours. It's dangerous," he stated flatly, clearly unimpressed by Kreuz's behavior. I shifted uncomfortably on my spot, my eyes suddenly taking interest in the rocky stones beneath. What could I say to that? I knew she was dangerous; she broke my wrist for Arceus' sake!

His boots then thudded on the rocky floor as he walked ahead, my Charmander following him. _'Oh, you're not mad at me too, are you?'_ I thought while grudgingly following behind in silence. We encountered one or two more Rocket Grunts but they were quickly dispatched by Gary's Pidgeotto. I'm sure he just had a natural talent for these things.

Eventually, we came to a small uprising in the dirt. It looked quite loose from the looks of it, as though someone had dug them up. Gary stopped to look over the small mound, Flare standing next to him and Squirtle still in his arms which left me in the dark as he walked away. I felt even more depressed as I released Shockwave awkwardly from his Poké Ball, my wrist still clad in the strong cast, who gave a squeak at the dark area and then ran over to Flare who provided the light. Oh did all my Pokémon hate me now?

I slid over to where Gary was, sneaking a glance on the other side of the strange mound. To my surprise, we saw a boy clad in a dusty lab coat polishing two stones covered in dirt; just dug them up presumably. A small, very small, lantern was sitting beside him.

"Hey, can you give us dir-"Gary began.

_"What?"_ The boy shrieked, his free hand coming up to hold his dirty glasses to his face and the other still deep in the soil, "No, these are _my_ fossils! I found them, they're _mine!_ I'm not giving you anything!" he snarled, covering the two stones, or fossils, protectively. Gary raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, probably too puzzled by the boys strange behavior. I knew there was a lot of Team Rocket Grunts in Mt. Moon today so maybe that was why? A new thought suddenly came to me, what if I was to challenge him for one of his fossils? Fair game, right, and they had to be valuable? Smirking, I then stepped forward, pushing past Gary.

"I'll challenge you for one of those fossils!" I stated, feeling pairs of eyes on my back. The boy looked up, wiping his greasy hair from his face as he stood up.

"Hah! Don't make me laugh; you're just a rookie trainer by the looks of it. Why should I challenge you when I have both the fossils here already?" he sneered before nodding his head; both fossils still lay by his feet.

"Aw what's the matter? Afraid you'll lose?" I taunted, hoping he'd take the bait. Gary still hadn't said a word from behind me and the Pokémon hadn't shifted spaces. It made me nervous.

"Me? Lose? To you? I think not but I'll humor you. If I win, you get nothing," he stated, his voice sounding wheezy. What a creep.

"Fine with me, but if I win, I get one." I countered, knowing I was asking for a fossil for myself; if Gary wanted one then he could go and dig one up. The boy nodded his head in approval before releasing a Grimer. I had definitely heard of Grimer before; they once plagued the Celadon sewage pipes with their sludge, it was all over the news. I ordered Shockwave to step forward, his paws thudding against the murky soil before he came to a stop, his cheeks buzzing with static.

"Grimer, use Pound!" he called, his hand pointing toward my Pikachu. Surprisingly quick for a piece of gunk, the slimy Pokémon slithered forward, its hand shooting forward to slap Shockwave on the head making the mouse roll along the floor. I grit my teeth; stupid piece of poison.

"Shockwave, use Thunder shock!" I called before my yellow mouse let loose a stream of lightning, directly zapping the Grimer. To mine and the nerd's surprise, it melted to the floor and didn't rise again. I blinked stupidly for a moment, why had we won so easily? Was it poorly trained? The greasy teen then recalled his fallen Grimer and then lashed out another ball.

"Koffing!" it cheered merrily, an almost twisted grin appearing on the floating ball's face.

"Poison Gas, Koffing!" its trainer wheezed. The ball then sucked in air through the main mouth before blowing a purple hued gas from the holes in its body. Shockwave looked around in panic as the he was surrounded by the toxic air. Before I could tell him to scramble away, he sniffed in the smoky air and then turned a sickly colour, his ears and tail drooping down to the ground.

"Shockwave, are you all right?" I called frantically; I remembered what Gary was like when he was poisoned and the thought made me shudder. This didn't go unnoticed by the nerdy kid as a taunt burst from his mouth straight after.

"Hah, so scared that you're shaking? I don't blame you, I am awesome after all. I wouldn't expect a rookie like you to be able to avoid an attack like that," he sneered, his glasses pushed up his nose again as it was swung high in the air when he bellowed laughter. I growled at his stupidity before turning back to Shockwave who was now huddled in a small ball on the floor.

"Go, Quick Attack," I called, my eyes lighting up in hope as my little electric mouse stood up and jolted forward. His legs sprang him from the floor as his head crashed into the startled Koffing, the poison gas still drifting in the air around the two Pokémon. The Poison Pokémon smashed into the floor as Shockwave jumped off but not before giving a violent hiccup. I felt myself starting to sweat; he'd be all right, right? Just a little more.

"Thunder Shock again!" I ordered while watching his cheeks charge up with thunder. They shot forth as his cheeks squeezed, startling the Koffing and making it faint. I stood there with my eyebrows raised, that's two wins now and I still had all my Pokémon left. Is this guy joking? I couldn't help but smile as his grin was wiped from his face. He threw his last Poke ball to reveal a Voltorb; I knew of this Pokémon too, it was one of the main suppliers to the Kanto Power Plant.

"Voltorb, Tackle!" he shouted, desperation creeping into his voice. Its beady eyes closed as it rolled forward, the pace increasing quickly. I was too late in telling Shockwave to dodge as he was hit full force and sent rolling backward again. He gave a feverish sneeze as he started to shiver, the poison seeping further through his blood. I had to hurry up.

"Thunder Shock!" and with that, he delivered a shock to the red and white orb. However, the static rippled before bouncing off the shiny surface of the round Pokémon. The nerd ordered another Tackle that smacked Shockwave backward again. "Enough stop it!" I called, my concern getting the better of me as I ran forward to cradle the shivering bundle of fur. He was still ready to fight but there was no way he'd be doing it while he was poisoned, it was only a random battle anyway. I walked over to Gary and handed him over, telling him to look after him. Gary gave a short nod of his head, his eyes drifting downward to the little mouse; still mad at me I take it.

"Flare, you're up next. Use Ember!" I called, my hand pointing forward to emphasise my point. My faithful salamander then shot forth blocks of fire, each sizzling the Voltorb and leaving a nasty red mark on the electric type. I mentally cheered as the burn mark made the Voltorb wince. The nerd commanded a Thunder Shock which hit Flare full force, electing a cry of pain. I commanded him to use another scratch which caused Voltorb to roll back; unconscious. A grin broke out on my face and I swung my little starter around in joy before turning back to the nerdy kid who still stood there in disbelief. I didn't do anything to hide my grin from him; why should I?

"I think I'll be taking this one. See ya later, kid. You really should train more instead of staying in a cave all your life," I declared as I swiped up the fossil, Shockwave and then walked past, without even sparing the kid a glance. I could see the faint traces of the outside light further down the corridor. I faintly heard something being said between the two boys before I heard Gary following behind me but I could only really catch something that sounded like, 'Dome' and 'Sorry'. Weird. But never mind, I needed to hurry up to Cerulean city if Shockwave could hang on for a bit longer. I bit my bottom lip, he was shivering pretty badly.

"That was rude," Gary hissed in my ear from behind as his boots marched along. I turned my head to look at him but I didn't stop walking. He looked pretty pissed.

"Excuse me?" I questioned, Flare's footsteps really hurrying to keep up with our fast pace.

"Yeah, you heard. That was _rude,_" he huffed.

"Sorry, what exactly was rude? The way he kept boasting about winning?" I remarked, raising an eyebrow. Why the Hell was he kicking off? I wasn't the one making all the snide remarks. His green eyes then darkened.

"No, you. Why the Hell did you just walk away?" he snapped, "You could have said, 'Oh good battle' or something along those lines instead of insulting him. You're better than that." Oh, so that was what's wrong? Right, that's it; I've had enough.

"Listen Gary I don't know what flew up your arse since we went on this journey but I'm sick to _death _of it!" I snarled my blue eyes boring into his green ones. I had stopped walking at this point and opted for just standing, "You're always whining and when you're not whining, you're in a mood about anything and everything! I'm sorry alright? I'm sorry my Riolu hates everything in existence! I'm sorry we got attacked by Beedrill in the forest! I'm sorry you jumped in front of me like a flying idiot! I'm sorry I had a battle and I'm sorry I won the bloody fossil!" I almost shouted the end bit I was that wound up. At this point, Flare had stopped to stand between us, looking back and forth with a distressed look on his face that we both missed.

"And I'm sorry I started this journey with you if you're always going to be this pissed off and moody! I'm just sick of it, Gary." And with that I quickened my pace to the exit; Gary's footsteps had stopped as I finished my ranting. I would have worried and said I was sorry but that was just so angry. I winced as the bright light of outside burnt my eyes. Shockwave also gave a murmur of discomfort at the sudden brightness. Flare also gave a cry of distress; it was raining. Bloody brilliant.

I managed to recall Flare into his Poké Ball to stop his displeasure at the downpour. I clutched Shockwave closer though as I jogged through the downpour. The sandy path stuck out from the vibrant grass on either side so it wasn't too hard to see where to go. I then came up to a pond surrounded by a white wooded fence and south of that was a series of slopes that led to another pathway. I swallowed before jumping from the slope, the slippery wetness made the mud break apart and so I went flat on my face; Shockwave rolling in front of me.

I immediately went up on my arms and knees, "Shockwave, are you okay?" I asked my heart rate increasing. He then rose on shaky legs and offered me a smile… before falling forward. Luckily, I caught him with my hands before he smacked against the mud. I then gathered him into my arms again while pushing the thought of me covered in mud at the back of my mind. I jogged alongside the pond and then ended up in Cerulean. I sighed in relief as I carried my unconscious Pikachu to the bright red building; it was quite close thankfully.

The double doors opened automatically as I stepped in front of them, my hair dripping wet with the rain. The warmth of the heating came gushing out to hug us, a relief from the chilling rain. Although, I grimaced as I neared Nurse Joy. She better not be like the other one…

"Hey, can you heal my Pikachu? He's been poisoned," I explained, my arms placing him on the counter. My heart ached for him, he was a shivering mess. A Chansey then skipped over, a bed wheeling out in front of her.

"Yes, place him on the stretcher and we'll take care of him. Is there anything else you needed?" she asked, nodding her head at the Chansey as I placed Shockwave on the bed. With an eager cry, she dashed off out the back doors. I swallowed before turning back to the nurse; at least she was a lot more pleasant than her Viridian sister.

"Uh… yeah can you heal my other Pokémon?" I asked as I placed Flare and Kreuz's Poké Balls on the desk in front of her. She nodded before taking them on a tray and running them under a machine. "And can I have a room? Single?" Gary could rent his own room when he got here.

"Certainly, you can have room 12; it's the last one upstairs at the end of the corridor." She smiled before handing me the keys and my Poké Balls. I accepted without another word. "We'll bring Pikachu up when he's healed."

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I flopped down on my bed exhausted, the small room quite welcoming when I caught sight of the ripping whirlwinds outside and the waterfall of rain that hammered the glass. Flare kept scuttling around the room, sniffing at all the different objects that came to him; bless. I wanted to let Kreuz out but I really didn't want to pay for broken equipment. I then rolled over on the bed, my eyes focusing on the wall in front of me. Maybe I shouldn't have left Gary there, it wasn't his fault. It was just me being too picky. Guilt rolled around in my stomach like a rollercoaster.

_'But Gary could take care of himself; he's the grandson of Professor Oak'_ I reminded myself. _'Yeah… that's a lot more than I'll ever be. Gary's more than just the Professors grandson; he's an amazing trainer and a good person… and what am I? Just a motor mouth…'_

I groaned and switched off the light, patting the empty bed space beside me so Flare could climb up. His warm scales seeped through the thin line of the covers, warming my side instantly. I stroked his back lightly, not too worried that his tail would murder me; I was sure that he wouldn't burn anything. His sleepy blue eyes then shut as he nuzzled his face into my side while I stared hopelessly out the window, thoughts of Gary on my mind. How could I leave him out there? Ugh… some friend I am. But whatever, I had to get ready for this gym battle and that's what I'd be doing tomorrow; training. Gary could take care of himself. I hope.

To be continued…

**A/N: Aw guys I'm really sorry this has taken so long to write, I've just been bombarded with coursework since September but hopefully the next one should be up before Christmas. Thanks so much for reviewing and favouriting this story guys, I really appreciate it! 3 **

**~ Jadeth**


	8. NorthBound Bridge

**Better Than You**

**Chapter 8**

**North-Bound Bridge**

_I groaned and switched off the light, patting the empty bed space beside me so Flare could climb up. His warm scales seeped through the thin line of the covers, warming my side instantly. I stroked his back lightly, not too worried that his tail would murder me; I was sure that he wouldn't burn anything. His sleepy blue eyes then shut as he nuzzled his face into my side while I stared hopelessly out the window, thoughts of Gary on my mind. How could I leave him out there? Ugh… some friend I am. But whatever, I had to get ready for this gym battle and that's what I'd be doing tomorrow; training. Gary could take care of himself. I hope._

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_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

I cracked open my blurry eyes at the sound_. 'Who in Arceus' name knocks at this hour?'_ I thought as I caught sight of the sky outside the window above my bed; still black as ink. Flare's tail flame was at a dull hue now; it must go lower when he sleeps. The barbaric knocking came again on the wooden door; they'd probably end up waking the entire centre if I didn't hurry up. I growled in irritation, would they wait for 1 minute?

As gently as I could, I slid off the bed but Flare still blinked open his eyes at the creaking of the bed springs. I ignored him as I went for the door, cracking it open carefully. The brightly lit hallway invaded my eyes; did they ever switch the lights out? To my surprise there was no one in the corridor…

"Chansey! Chansey!" A cheerful voice sounded out. I turned my attention downward to see a Chansey holding a tray containing a single Pokeball. _'What the… Oh! Shockwave!'_ I thought my brain a little slow after just waking up. I smiled faintly as I took the Pokeball; I had one of my friends back. Thank Arceus.

I turned to go back inside but the pink Pokémon tugged my hand, indicating I should follow her down the hall. I groaned as the bright lights flooded my vision as I was pulled down the hall by a merry Chansey. She then pushed me onto a squishy leather seat facing a terminal. I blinked sleepily before peering closer to the brightly lit screen.

'_Video-phone on hold.'_ Flashed in bright blue letters. The Chansey came back and pushed a button on the screen before scampering off again.

"_Jaden? Jaden! Ah good, is Gary around with you?" _the voice of Professor Oak drifted through the speakers. I froze on my chair, now fully awake. Gary? Oh crap!

"Err… I think he went to check out the gym, professor," I lied, "but is there anything I can help you with?"

"_Well yes I suppose you could help me. I have dreadful news to share with you,"_ I felt a cold, hard knot squeeze in my stomach at that; _"the lab was broken into last night. A few Pokémon have been stolen."_

"What? Do you have any idea who it was? Is everyone alright? Which Pokémon?" I spluttered out. Stolen? Oh Arceus…

"_The missing Pokémon were a Grimer, Bulbasaur, Butterfree, Skitty and a Larvitar. We're not sure how they're connected but we're pretty sure it was Team Rocket who broke into the lab,"_ he paused as if deep in thought before continuing, _"but I want you to steer clear of Team Rocket if you encounter them. But I must ask you to please try and get these Pokémon back. If any, please return the Bulbasaur, as a trainer came by to pick it up but it was stolen. Please also pass this message onto Gary. Take care and contact me if you hear anything!"_ and with that, the screen switched off.

I sat there staring at it for what seemed like an hour. The Chansey came back and guided me to my room. I nodded my thanks before shutting the door. Flare was now sitting atop the scattered covers, his eyes droopy from sleep.

"Shockwave's back with us, Flare." I smiled. I released my mouse from his Pokeball with my cast-ridden hand, the bright light illuminating the room for a split second. Shockwave's black tipped ears picked up as he gave us a cheerful squeak in greeting. I smiled before scratching the top of his head in affection while Flare came over to chirp happily.

A yawn broke through my throat as I looked outside again. Night still... I wondered what time it was. If I was to train these guys to take on the Gym leader then I'd have to get up early to go and secure a good training spot. I then thought of Kreuz, it was unfair to leave her in her ball while these two are out. I didn't want her to flip out and go mental but if I was ever going to gain her trust then I'd have to start somewhere. Carefully pressing the release button, she popped out with a snarl on her mouth, her ruby eyes narrowed.

"Hi Kreuz…" I started, nervous all of a sudden, "we're gonna start training tomorrow so get some rest." I declared, hoping she wouldn't try and Force Palm the window and escape; because I wouldn't catch her. She gave a huff before jumping on top of the windowsill, her attention focused to the outside world and not the room she had to grudgingly share with 3 morons. I sighed in relief, which was fine by me.

I crawled back under the covers, Shockwave and Flare following me up to snuggle into my side. I really did love them, they weren't just my Pokémon; they were becoming my partners, my friends, my family.

Thoughts of the stolen Pokémon wafted through my mind. It seemed so random that they'd steal Pokémon, and the Pokémon they stole too. Anger flooded my head as I thought of Kreuz. She hated Team Rocket with a passion; they treated Pokémon horribly.

Even as my eyes closed again, my thoughts drifted back to Gary. I hoped he was okay but surely he could take care of himself; he was an Oak. The grandson to one of the richest and most successful people in Kanto. I suddenly felt very small; I could never match up to that. I'd always be a smaller person in my eyes and the eyes of the society. I'd have to give him Professor Oak's message when I saw him. Arceus, that's going to be awkward, I didn't even deserve to be seen with him; it's a good thing we're not travelling together anymore, I'd just embarrass him. It's not like it was going to last anyway, right? It's good to dream that I'll always be his friend… but sooner or later I'd have to wake up to reality. And in reality… I would never be friends with Gary Oak.

My eyes opened again, my stomach was twisted into nauseous knots; I couldn't sleep now. I couldn't exactly move either with those two sleeping next to me. Instead, I averted my eyes upward to the window. The starred sky helped to calm me down quite a bit, I could even see the very tip of Mt. Moon. I let out another sigh, I felt tired but I couldn't sleep. Instead, I turned my gaze to Kreuz. She sat at the window, her snout inches from the glass creating a fog each time she breathed. I kind of wondered what she was looking at. There wasn't that much to see outside was there?

"We'll do some training tomorrow so we'll be able to beat the gym leader here. Would you like that, Kreuz?" I asked, my eyes fixed on the blue dog. After no response, I shrugged and snuggled into my fluffy pillow, thoughts of training, the stolen Pokémon, Gary and the gym battle swimming in my mind as I drifted off.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X

"_Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeee!"_ An ear splitting cry sounded from outside the centre, succeeding in awakening all 4 of us in the room. I sat up in alarm, what in Arceus; name was _that?_ Apparently Kreuz had fallen asleep as she gave a startled yelp and almost fell off the windowsill in surprise. Flare also almost fell off the bed but saved himself by hanging onto the cover for dear life and Shockwave managed to roll off onto the floor in shock.

I rubbed my eye with one hand, while my cast-ridden one unlocked the large window. Pushing it open, I stuck my head outside, bed-head or not. I felt the others crowd around me too, trying to see what was going on outside. I even felt Shockwave pad across my back to stand at the base of my neck, his paws hanging onto my hair while he peaked over my head. It was sunny outside at least, the rays slapping against our skin.

A large group of people stood around a large looking bird, three feathered heads squawking at the onlookers as a man dressed in black on top threw green coloured leaflets out. I figured that must have been the bird that woke everyone up. It was really tall judging by the way it towered over everyone else. But three heads? That was weird. I leaned back inside the room while closing the window. I frowned at my cast, it was really annoying me. With my other hand, I slipped it off then experimented twisting my wrist around. It had a sharp pain to it but as long as I didn't move it that much, it should be alright; that cast was just irritating.

I quickly dressed in jeans and a purple t-shirt, ran a brush through my hair and got out the door, leaving my bag containing my spare clothes and Shockwave to hang on my shoulder while I returned the others to their Pokeballs which were attached to the belt around my jeans. I felt him clutching my hair to get a better grip but it didn't bother me, I barely felt it. I gave the room key to one of the Chansey for safe keeping and thanked them for the stay before I went outside the centre into the morning air.

I walked around town for a few minutes, taking the locations of key buildings to mind. The gym, Pokémon centre and the Pokemart were my main points. The bike shop caught my interest too but I couldn't ride a bike so I didn't even bother going past the front door. A bridge to the north of town caught my interest but my stomach decided to growl in hunger. Shockwave squeaked in reply and then I actually wondered; I hadn't fed him since I caught him and that was yesterday.

"Want some breakfast, Shockwave?" I murmured as I scratched him behind his ear when he hopped on my shoulder. My eyes caught sight of a café on the corner next to the centre. It was only a small building but it served food and that was fine with me.

The stale smell of coffee lingered in the air as we walked in, the bell attached to the door rattled to signal our entry. The tables and chairs were made of wood, unpolished and old-fashioned. An old lady with bushy grey hair, small glasses and a dull green apron shuffled over to greet us, a menu in her wrinkled hands. She said nothing as she thrust it into my hands before walking over to a table by the windowsill.

My eyes scanned the menu before settling on pancakes with chocolate sauce. I also ordered 3 bowls of Pokémon food. The lady shuffled to the kitchen to fulfil my order. I released Flare, who happily stretched up to see out of the window, and Kreuz, who hopped up on a chair to sit cross legged. Shockwave hopped off my shoulder to sit on the table, sniffing at various parts of tattered cloth.

My thoughts wondered back to Gary. I hadn't seen him in that crowd before when I woke up; maybe he had rented a room out in the Pokémon centre? I was taken out of my thoughts by the thud of my plate on the thick cloth. The thud was followed by 3 more; the Pokémon food. The little old woman was then scuttling back into the kitchen before I could say my thanks.

I laid the food out in front of my companions before digging into the soggy pancakes myself. I crinkled my nose in distaste. Well it wasn't too bad; it's just that I wouldn't have it again if I had the chance. Instead, I took to pushing my food around my plate until my Pokémon were finished. Shockwave and Flare happily popped blocks of the dried food into their mouths while Kreuz took to sniffing each individual piece before she ate it. I threw the money on the table next to the empty plates and bowls before heading outside with Flare.

I stepped on one of those green flyers that the man was throwing around before on top of the three-headed bird. I knelt down to inspect it, Shockwave leaping to my knee to see better. I read the flyer aloud;

"**To all those who think they're strong enough, come to the north-bound bridge for a series of battles and win a fabulous prize."**

I licked my lips as I stood up, calling my Pikachu back and releasing Flare, who yawned loudly. A series of battles, huh? I wondered what the prize was. It must be pretty awesome if there's loads of trainers to get through, hehe. It'd give me some practice too for the Gym leader here.

I caught sight of the gym again but I wasn't going to go in yet; I needed practise first. Instead, I strolled around town and eventually came to a bridge leading north. Some kid came sprinting up to me, a Pidgey next to him on his shoulder.

"Hey if you wanna cross this bridge, you'll have to beat 5 trainers in a row in one-on-one battles! There'll be a prize for you at the end if you win!" He grinned at me before I could reply and he ran back up the bridge. I raised my eyebrow in confusion, what a weird kid he was. Sharing a glance with Flare, we both headed up the bridge.

We first came across a young girl, I didn't think school was on today but she was still dressed in a uniform. She had brown hair and had a smug grin on her face as she took a step toward me.

"You're the first challenger? Alright, let's go Murkrow!" She yelled, throwing the ball on the ground. A small black bird hopped out, his yellow beak twitching as it jabbered at the ground. It had a small tuft of feathers on the crown on its head that resembled a little hat and its tail resembled a thick duster. Its crimson eyes focused on the planks of wood rather than at Flare who'd now stepped up to stand in front of me.

"Murkrow, use Wing Attack!" the girl cried. I only noticed it now but she looked about 10 years old. My posture tensed as I expected the bird to take flight and dive at us but to my surprise it didn't budge an inch, just stayed pecking at the ground. The little girl then started pulling her hair, "Murkrow don't do this _again! _Use Wing Attack!" she wailed while begging her Pokémon to move. I took this as my queue to make a move.

"Flare, Ember!" I called, feeling proud when my lizard shot flames from his mouth. The small bird screeched as the fire hit home, it running about the ground flapping to quell the flames. The little birds flapping were successful but it still had smoke drifting from the charred feathers. It would have been comical if not for the fury in the bird's eyes.

"Murkrow!" It squawked as it took off the ground in a flap of its wings. My eyes widened as I tried to keep my eyes on the bird as it flew up by the sun; it was a lot faster than it looked. I heard the girl give a few shouts of encouragement to her Pokémon but I still couldn't see it. Instead I turned back to Flare.

"Flare, Ember at the sky!" I told him, watching as his little head turn upward as he shot flames into the sky as I ordered. The spray of flames went in a random direction but I had to do something. Just then, I heard a booming shriek as a black object dived straight down at Flare. I had to squint, but it was defiantly the Murkrow. The shriek was one of the flames sizzling its wings again as it flew down. I smirked as I spotted the smoke trail following the bird but I soon enough stopped smiling when it dived straight into Flare.

A small cloud of dust and splinters rose up from the old planks as they made contact. That Murkrow was crazy! She really needed to train it more. I gulped as both Pokémon lay still on the floor. I understood why she kept that Murkrow when it didn't listen to her; it was strong. However, it wasn't as strong as my faithful Charmander, who managed to struggle back up to a standing position. The Murkrow still remained on the ground, unconscious.

Grinning, I ran right to Flare who chirped in joy at our victory. I looked back at the girl who was scooping her bird from the floor and returning it to its Pokeball. I smiled at her and shook her hand and then went on my way to the next trainer.

A boy was next. He had a blue cap on that was turned backward; he wore a simple white vest and blue shorts. He glanced my way and sent his Pokémon out, no introductions.

"Ekanssss!" A purple scaled snake hissed out, it had a yellow underbelly, yellow eyes, a yellow ring around its neck and a yellow tail. The tail sounded much like a rattle when shaken. I allowed Flare to step through again but instead, I picked the first attack.

"Flare, Scratch attack!" I called, watching him charge forward, claws poised up for attack. The Ekans was much faster though. In what looked like a few seconds, it slithered around Flares back and coiled its self around his body tightly, preventing Flare from moving aside from squirming.

"Hehe good work, Ekans. Use Wrap!" The boy spoke, his face twisted into a smug smirk. As the command left his lips, the snake started to squeeze Flares small body electing a cry from the small lizard. Tighter and tighter it got as time passed. I kept buzzing around my head thinking of a way out of this. I then clicked. Flare's body might have been stuck, but his mouth wasn't.

"Flare, Ember attack at its head!" I cried, hoping he wasn't in too much pain as to now be able to carry out the attack. He shot fire from his mouth that landed directly onto the snake's head, what with it being close range. It gave a startled hiss of pain as it quickly uncoiled, shaking its head. Flare then dropped to the floor but then pounced back up, his limbs flexing as they weren't trapped anymore. When the snake looked up again, its face was blistering red; a burn. I mentally smiled, that would be useful in the future.

"Ekans no! Use your Poison Sting!" The boy called, not taking any chances with the burn inflicted. The snake then rose up a few inches, but instead of shooting poisoned darts, it lunged forward in a Bite attack. _'Another Pokémon that doesn't listen to the trainer.' _I thought before telling Flare to dodge to the side. As the bulky snake hit the deck, he hissed in pain at the blisters on its face.

"Flare, do it now! Scratch!" Watching his claws slam into the immobile snake. It gave another hiss before trying another Bite. Flare dodged again before scratching it as it dived past, missing him by inches. "One more Ember Flare! Go!" I called, proud of my little lizard for being so quick in dodging. His fire hit home again as the snake flopped to the floor, knocked out. I gave a little jump for joy before rushing to swing Flare around. He merrily nuzzled into my shirt as we walked past the boy who was now scowling at us as he tended to his Ekans.

"Well done Flare that was great!" I cooed before returning him to his Pokeball. That was 2 trainers down; this was a piece of cake! I only had 3 more left and then we'd win this. I'd use Kreuz, my Riolu, for my next match. She needed to get some practise in too. I just hope she'd listen to me.

I smiled at the boy as I got closer to my next challenge. He smiled back before releasing his Pokeball. A blue Pokémon popped out. It had light purple branches sticking out of either side of its head, 3 blue marks on its belly, black dotted eyes, 2 tiny stumpy legs and a big flat tail. Its mouth looked huge! I released Kreuz who stood with her arms folded, scowl on her face as usual.

"Woooooper!" It cooed before launching into a Water Gun, which Kreuz dodged by leaping onto the railing on the size of the bridge. The attack didn't stop there, however. The Water Gun sprouted again and it knocked the Riolu off the tip of the rail. I felt my throat squeeze shut as I waited for the splash to sound out but I didn't hear anything. I ran over to the size and looked over, I then spotted her hanging on to the rail by her paws. I sighed in relief but then turned back to the Wooper.

"Kreuz, get back up here and use low kick!" I called. To my amazement, her body got pulled up ward as she threw her body onto the top of the railing and then jumped off again and came crashing down on the startled Wooper with a Low Kick. It threw the Water Pokémon across the deck where it struggled up again.

"Wooper, Slam!" The trainer called as it ran forward. I told Kreuz to dodge as it ran forward. She gave a snort and stayed crouched down, ready to pounce. The Wooper came closer and she dodged around back of the Wooper, her paw glowing white with a Force Palm charging. Her crimson eyes widened as the Wooper's tail came slamming down into her face, cancelling out the Force Palm and crashing her down into the deck.

The Wooper then hopped backward before Kreuz could stand. She lay there dazed but then started to rise up. The boy called another command as the Wooper shot forth a Mud Shot. She tried to dodge it but it caught her in her back and she flopped down on the deck again, mud painting her fur. She gave a snarl of fury as she quickly rose again. It was a good job ground attacks didn't work too well on fighting types.

"Kreuz, try a Force Palm!" I commanded, my eyes trained on Kreuz. She turned her head toward me and we gained eye contact before she sprinted off again toward the Wooper, her paw raised and glowing white.

"Wooper, dodge it!" The boy yelled, his hands curled into fists. His Wooper chirped and jumped as high as it could, hoping Kreuz would run below and miss. Unfortunately for him, he jumped too soon and left himself defenceless. With another growl, Kreuz leaped up and slammed the Force Palm into the Wooper, blasting it with energy. It crashed back onto the deck, unconscious. I clapped and walked forward to Kreuz. She didn't want me there and snarled before I could touch her. I took it as a hint and walked on after returning her to her Pokeball. She reminded me a lot of the Murkrow; she didn't always listen but when she did, she was strong.

I released Flare and we walked to the next challenger. I took this time to spray him with a potion to make sure he was in top shape, he chirped at me in reassurance, his tail swinging happily about. The next trainer was a girl who looked about my age. She nodded and then released a small spider-like Pokémon. It was green with 6 yellow legs that were adorned with black stripes. It had what looked like a facial pattern on its abdomen; it had a small spike on the tip of its head with 2 red fangs.

"Spinarak, string shot on that Charmander!" she called as a steady stream of strong shot forth, coating Flare in the sticky substance and rendering him helpless. "Follow it up with Leech Life!" She grinned as the small spider crawled toward Flare and sunk its fangs into his shoulder, sucking the blood out. I felt my eyes go wide; I'd never seen a move like _that_ before! Flare whined in pain as he shuffled about on his legs, trying to dislodge the arachnid who sucked his energy away.

He resorted to banging the Spinarak against the wooden railing beams. After about 2 smacks, it finally released its hold on the Charmander, its beady eyes locking onto the Charmander awaiting its next command.

"Flare, Ember that Spinarak!" I shouted, desperate to get rid of the little pest. It looked like a Bug type and fire would probably knock it out with one hit if we could manage. He gave a growl as the string around his body snapped and released his ember flares. The other trainer, however, ordered Spinarak to string shot the embers, slowing them down enough for the spider to scuttle out of the way. I grit my teeth, the girl was smart. Even though she's facing a dangerous fire type, she's worked out a strategy to keep her bug unharmed and still attack. Flare's Ember wasn't hot enough to completely stop the string shots.

"Spinarak, Poison Sting!" She laughed, suddenly in a good mood when she saw the look on my face. I glared her way as the small poisonous needles shot forth at Flare, impaling his side. He cried in pain before staggering from the pain. He then started to shiver after a few seconds, indicating he was poisoned. I almost growled, that stupid Spinarak!

"Flare, Scratch!" I told him. He then shook his head a few times before running over, his claws poised to strike. The Spinirak trainer ordered another string shot to be fired, which tangled Flares legs and caused him to trip over. I almost face palmed at the girls cackling but it wasn't his fault. Flare then gave another whine of pain as the spider preformed another Leech Life. Flare succeeded in slashing it off his back with his claws but then something amazing happened. Flare's whole body started to glow white.

I gasped in amazement, I'd seen this before back in the forest with the Kakuna and Beedrill; Flare was evolving! His frame became larger in size and height, his ruby eyes were now a chilling blue, his claws and tail lengthened and his head grew a spike on the back of his head. The white glow then started to fade away leaving a darker skinned reptile. Instead of the bright orange, he was now a dark red.

"Charmeleon, char!" he growled, his voice deepened. My mood suddenly lifted, I even started laughing; he was gorgeous! I watched in wonder as his whole body looked like it was enveloped in flames. After a few seconds I clicked on; it must have been his Blaze Ability! It empowers Fire type attacks when he's on low health. He then turned around to me and chirped like he did when he was a Charmander. I grinned back and him and then looked at the other trainer. She looked Worried. Ha!

"Flare, use an Ember attack!" I called, my voice filled with excitement. Flare performed it much like before, his mouth opened as he shot hot embers forth. The Spinarak's feeble string shot was no match for the heightened power of a Charmeleon's Ember. It cut through the string like it was made of paper, effectively roasting the spider on the spot. It then curled up; unconscious.

I jumped up I joy before running to Flare and enveloping him in a hug, which he returned. I grinned again at him but then I frowned when he almost staggered. I forgot that he was on low health. I gave him another hug, murmuring praise before I returned him to his Pokeball. _'I'll use Kreuz for my final match, she can use the training.'_ I thought as I walked to the next challenge.

The last person looked like a Pokémon Ranger. He was clad in a red hat, jacket and boots. His pants were black and so was his shirt. He tipped his hat back before releasing his Pokémon. A dog like Pokémon appeared. It was bright orange, like Charmander, its body adorned with black stripes. The stomach, tail and crown of the head were coated in cream fur. The forepaws contained 2 claws while the back had 3

toes. It looked a lot like a big puppy.

"Growlithe, Bite!" He called, his hat tilting forward to shade his eyes against the sun. His dog then barked before charging forward, his teeth bared and snapping.

"Kreuz, Low Kick when it gets close!" I ordered. She crouched low on the ground as the Growlithe sprinted closer. I almost called her to dodge it when she didn't look like she was going to move. At the last second, literally, she leapt to the side, causing the Growlithe to skid to a halt as it missed the target. Kreuz then slammed her paw into the dog's size, a white glow surrounding it. I was her Drain Punch. I groaned; she didn't listen to me again.

"Growlithe, Ember!" The dog then sprayed my Riolu with a jet of embers, making her squeal in pain. Her paws came up to shield her face against the scalding heat. "Bite!" His voice boomed over us. The dog then lunged forward and sunk its teeth into her arm before yanking the arm and making Kreuz stumble. "Throw it!" He called again, his hands clenched in excitement. I wasn't bloody excited. On command, the dog swung her around by the arm, releasing her and making her crash land into the side of the railing. I grit my teeth in anger. How dare them.

"Kreuz get up!" I ordered, my own fists now clenching. She started to then raise, a snarl of her own on her muzzle. Whether it was directed at me or the Growlithe I didn't know; both probably. "Kreuz, Low Kick!" I ordered again. She then took off running at the canine, reaching him in seconds with the short space between them.

The dog had other things in mind as it leaped upward onto the railing, causing Kreuz to skid to a halt. She growled at it before it released another string of embers at her. She didn't need telling to dodge that time; she jumped backward seconds before flames started burrowing into the wooden deck. I was almost worried it'd burn the entire bridge but we'd sort that later. I could swim… sort of.

"Force Palm it into the water!" I shouted, watching her run back along the floor before leaping toward the Growlithe, her paw drew back in a readying Force Palm. I grinned, if it got knocked backward, we'd win. The Growlithe had other plans however as it performed a Tackle on her as she leapt, knocking them both backward. They both thudded onto the deck, Kreuz's arms pinned down by Growlithe's paws.

"Ember, Growlithe!" He called, smirking at the situation.

"Low Kick, Kreuz!" I countered.

Just before the dog could unleash the Ember, Kreuz's leg lashed out into its stomach, knocking the Growlithe forward and off her. It landed in a heap on its back and suddenly sprayed flames from the ember attack into the sky. Kreuz had now kneeled and turned around to face the beast as it rose back up on shaking 4 legs.

Both Pokémon were covered in various bruises and scratches and were breathing heavily. I had to end this soon; they weren't going to last much longer.

"Kreuz, finish this up with Drain Punch!" I ordered, watching as she charged forward. This way, she'd be able to get some health back while hopefully knocking Growlithe out.

"Growlithe, Bite, let's go!" He called, his own Pokémon charging forward. I almost shut my eyes in anticipation as I watched them both charge toward each other. At the last minute they both pounced.

Kreuz pulled her arm back, readying a punch while Growlithe leaped, its jaws open. They both clashed in midair and it seemed like time had stopped. Growlithe's teeth clamped down onto her arm, sending a flinch pulsing through her joints. Kreuz had brought her other palm forward to rest on its chest.

"Hah! My Growlithe's Bite can make you flinch, I think this match is over!" he called, his voice cocky.

"You're damn right it's over; Riolu's got the ability 'Steadfast'! She's faster now that you've bit her! Kreuz, get it off!" I grinned, watching her palm charge up with a white light as Growlithe's eyes widened in shock before it was blown backward from the force, its teeth releasing their hold on her arm. It did a small somersault before it flopped down onto the deck, its eyes glaring daggers at my Riolu as the bruises doubled. The Growlithe, with great difficulty, rose on very shaky legs.

"Time to finish it for real. Kreuz, Low Kick!" I yelled; glad to have the battle go in our favour again. She let out a cry then rushed forward before pelting in it the chin with her leg in an upward arc; effectively throwing its head back in force before it fell onto the ground, where it lay unconscious.

I nearly slumped to the ground in relief, thank God for that! I thought we were finished for sure and I'm so glad she listened for as long as she did! Someone was getting a full bowl of food when we got back into town. Come to think of it, so was Flare. I looked up to see the boy gently stroking his Pokémon on the head, the dog reaching up to lick at his wrist in affection. I smiled and shook the Rangers hand and went to hug Kreuz but she stepped backward as I kneeled down, scowl on her face. I smiled instead and returned her to her Pokeball, wishing we had the same relationship I'd just seen.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X

I walked steadily down the end of the bridge, recognising the kid that ran up to me from before. Although, a taller man dressed in black stood behind him, overshadowing the small boy.

"Hey! Hey you beat them! Here's your reward!" the boy yelled eagerly, thrusting a golden nugget the size of a Pokeball into my hands before backing away a few steps. I gaped at it; _this_ was the reward? I was sort of expecting a pack of antidotes or something, what the Heck was I supposed to do with this? In my pondering, I didn't notice the tall man slide up beside the small boy.

"There is also another condition to the reward." He spoke and I felt a small shiver pass through me. The man had tight, ice cold eyes that seemed to look right through you as he stared. His voice was strangely calm but it had an edge to it too; a voice of authority. "You _must_ join our organisation."

"Err… which organisation is that?"

"Team Rocket." He answered, his voice clipped as a sneering smile crossed his face. My eyes widened, no way! No _way!_

"Its cool being in Team Rocket, _all_ the people on this bridge are from Tea-"the boy stared before he was clipped in the back of the head by the man, effectively silencing him. The man then put his hand on the boys shoulder, making him shiver, before stepping toward me himself.

"Silence," he snapped at the boy, his eyes focusing back on me. "There are no negotiations, no exceptions and no excuses. Those who complete the bridge successfully are initiated into Team Rocket. Now if you'll come with us." He requested before holding out a wristband with a red 'R' on it, indicating I should walk forward and take it.

I swallowed heavily before my Pokeball popped open. '_Oh Arceus, not now!'_

"Riolu!" Kreuz snarled, her eyes narrowing in fury at the Rocket member. Her fur was all matted and covered in dust, burns and bruises from the previous battles. I had to wonder if this grudge against Rocket members was ever going to go away. What had they done to her?

"I see you have a disobedient Pokémon. We'll take care of that back at the base. We don not tolerate rebellious Pokémon." He spoke, his cold eyes transfixed on Kreuz, who stood in front of him, snarling and growling but looking wobbly on her legs. Then before I could return her to her ball, she pelted forward, her paw drawn back in a readying Drain Punch against the Rocket member while the boy cowered behind him.

"Fire Punch." The man uttered, so quiet I barely caught it.

It happened so fast, if I blinked I would have missed it. A Pokeball of his own that was attached to his belt popped open, revealing an orange monkey that stood in front of him. I only caught a glimpse of it as it pulled its fist back, flames enveloping it and it shot forward, directly catching Kreuz unaware in the chin and sending her bowling backward into me. The sheer force of the hit knocked me to the ground, Kreuz lay unconscious on top of me. I lay there for a few seconds in utter shock. What the Heck was _that! _

"Foolish boy, we do not cower because of rabid Pokémon." He scolded in a clipping tone before smacking the boy on the back of the head again. That snapped me out of my shock alright. Rabid? How dare he. I stood up while returning Kreuz to her Pokeball.

"Rabid? How dare you, she might be… rebellious at times… but she's not rabid! I'm not joining you! I know what Team Rocket's like! You can stuff your invite, I'm not taking it." I growled while turning around to walk back down the bridge. I was faced with the kid from before, blocking my path. I narrowed my eyes and told him to move. He stubbornly shook his head while I heard a sinister laugh from behind me.

"I don't think you understand," he spoke again, his chilling voice slicing through me. "there's no escape. You _will _join us."

"Will I? We'll see about that, I'll battle you for it!"

"There are no negotiations."

"A one on one battle. Winner gets their way. I've only got one good Pokémon, what have you got to lose?" I taunted, hoping he'd take the bait. He seemed to be thinking it over in his mind before a sneer found his lips once more.

"Alright. This is the only time I will agree to such matters. If you win against my Monferno, you may leave."

"Okay th-"

"But if_ I_ win, you join Team Rocket and hand over the disobedient Pokémon. You can keep the other 2." He sneered, the cold gleam in his eyes was back.

"Fine!" I agreed, my fists clenching around Shockwaves Pokeball. I'd lose Kreuz if I lost now… "Come on, Shockwave." I called, releasing my Pokémon. The little yellow mouse appeared, his ears twitching in excitement. The little boy looked excited too, his eyes as wide as saucers from behind the Rocket member.

The 'Monferno' was covered in orange fur, his tail was long and thin with a flame adorning the tip, it had a blue markings above the eyes, golden arm bands on each arm, the snout, ears, stomach, feet and fingers were a creamy colour. To be honest, it was a very handsome Pokémon. I'd love to have one myself if I hadn't already got a fire Pokémon. I clicked my Pokédex out and recorded the data on the odd Pokémon before us,

'_**Monferno, the Playful Pokémon. Its home region is Sinnoh and it is the evolved form of Chimchar. A bigger fire on its tail and a brighter blue pattern on its face means its rank in its pack is higher. It skilfully controls the intensity of the fire on its tail to keep its foes at an ideal distance.' **_

I grimaced, I'd have to watch out for that tail but it was very similar to Flares so it wouldn't be too hard. Although, when I looked again at the Pokémon, I noticed it was covered in bruises and bumps perhaps from a previous fight? And not too long ago either and that'd work in our favour. I thought I'd imagined it, but its tail looked a lot bigger than the Pokédex picture and the air around it seemed to be waving with intense heat.

"My Monferno has its ability Blaze, already activated, unfortunately for you. Monferno, Mach Punch." The Rocket member sneered. Like a bullet, the monkey shot forward again before we could blink and slammed its fist into Shockwave, sending him bowling backward. My little mouse rose to his feet, sparks crackling from his cheeks in anger. I grimaced as I noticed the previous battling didn't seem to affect the Monferno at all.

"Shockwave, Thunder shock!" He then charged his cheeks up, spilling electricity out toward the Fire Pokémon.

"Fire Punch." He smirked. It then charged forward, its speed incredible as its fist enveloped into flames. The whip of electricity hit it full force but it continued to charge, as if unaffected. I grit my teeth. They contacted, each electing a squeak of pain as they separated.

"Quick Attack, Shockwave! Give it all you've got!" He then shot forward, his little legs beating upon the deck as he fast approached the rival Pokémon.

"Flame Wheel, meet it head on." The monkey then burst into a ball of flame as it began to roll quickly toward Shockwave.

"Dodge it now!" I shouted. Then, just at the last moment, Shockwave stopped his charge and darted to the left, making the monkey slide past him and exposing its flank. I didn't look up but I barely heard the gasp of surprise coming from the kid. Wasting no time, Shockwave quickly charged up a thunder shock, aiming at the targets back, causing a critical hit. I winced as I heard the Monferno scream in pain as it halted its Flame Wheel.

"Quick Attack to follow up!" I called as my trusty Pokémon jolted toward the Monferno, who wasn't moving from its spot, its eyes clenched shut in pain.

"Mach Punch!" The Rocket member sounded, his voice turning anxious now as his Pokémon was looking tired. It turned around to meet Shockwave head on but suddenly jolted as its muscles twitched and twisted as a paralysis thundered through its veins, rendering it immobile. I grinned as Shockwave hit it square in the chest, knocking it back a few steps but not enough to make it fall over.

"Thunder Shock!" I called.

"Flamethrower!" he countered.

Both Pokémon unleashed their natural elements at each other, the attacks colliding in midair. Shockwave's cheeks cackled and sparked electric energy while Monferno countered with a melting, scorching flamethrower from its mouth. The friction of opposing elements burst in the middle, causing a small explosion that engulfed both Pokémon in a dusty cloud. I hissed as small bits of dust assaulted my eyes, bringing my hands up to shield myself. I cracked my eyes open a tiny fraction when it had cleared. The Monferno lay on the floor, unconscious, its body covered in bruises and burns. However, I also looked over to Shockwave who was standing on shaky legs, his fists curled up and his eyes squeezed shut; his body was coated in a raw, red burn. Even breathing seemed to send him into a stitch of pain.

I and the Rocket member stood still for what felt like an hour, just staring… until that little kid piped up.

"Holy Arceus, that was _so awesome!"_ he screeched, his mouth split into a huge grin. He then, to my amazement, started clapping his hands while rushing forward to pet my Pikachu. He immediately cried out as the boy roughly scratched him between the ears. His cheeks sparked static in warning. That snapped me out of my daze as I rushed forward.

"Whoa! Hey, kid! Get off him, can't you see his burn?" I hissed, gently cradling Shockwave with one arm, while the other dug through my sack to find a Burn Heal. To my relief, my hands clasped around the Burn Heal, spraying it evenly across his body to lift the burn. I had to hand it to medicine; the effect was almost instant; his deep red burn began to subside, changing him to his natural yellow and brown. It was still there however, as I only had one heal on me.

I then returned him to his Pokeball while cooing praise, striding past the Rocket member and the kid, paying them no heed. It was weird, I didn't feel all optimistic as usual whenever we won, and I just wanted to get away from them.

"How _dare_ you!" A menacing voice behind me roared. I swung around to see the Rocket Member, his eyes burning in fury; the calm exterior had completely melted. My eyes glanced toward his hands. One held a Pokeball and the other held a communicator that had its button pressed tightly inward. I noticed the Monferno was still unconscious on the floor.

"Your Monferno's still there. I suggest you get it and go home." I snarled before walking away again. Suddenly, there was a popping sound as Pokeballs were released. I whipped around in shock to find 3 Pokémon hissing and growling; men and women in the same black outfit with the ruby R painted on the shirt. Team Rocket!

There stood a large green dinosaur-like Pokémon, a huge pink flower bursting on its back, a light blue crocodile-like Pokémon with a big jaw and ruby red spikes trailing up its back and a slim, lizard-like Pokémon with leaves sprouting from the head, rear and arms. I scowled; he called for help! I clicked my Pokédex out but had no time to listen to the information about it. In front of me stood a Croconaw, Grovyle and an Ivysaur; all starter Pokémon of Johto, Hoenn and Kanto. We were in no position to fight anymore, everyone was exhausted! I turned around to run, it was the only shot to avoid them.

"You're not going anywhere; Ivysaur, Vine Whip!" One of the women called, her eyes trained on me as she smirked. The big dinosaur, known as Ivysaur, bellowed as a flurry of vines burst from the giant flower perched on its back. This then turned straight toward _me!_ I gave a yell of pain as the vines tightly wrapped around my midsection, binding my arms to my sides and preventing me from moving forward. Oh _Hell…_

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X

**A/N: I'm sorry this took so long guys (Although I did do quite a lot!). This has been getting added to since like November but I've had exams and all that so production's been really slow. Anyway, hope you all enjoy and don't forget to review! And if you spot a mistake, please point it out! Thanks guys!**

**~ Jadeth**


	9. Bill's Assistance

Better Than You

Chapter 9 – Bill's Assistance

"_You're not going anywhere; Ivysaur, Vine Whip!" One of the women called, her eyes trained on me as she smirked. The big dinosaur, known as Ivysaur, bellowed as a flurry of vines burst from the giant flower perched on its back. This then turned straight toward me! I gave a yell of pain as the vines tightly wrapped around my midsection, binding my arms to my sides and preventing me from moving forward. Oh Hell…_

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X

The vines constricted tighter, almost cutting into my lungs as they were squeezed together. I grit my teeth as to not cry out. Oh Arceus, I was really screwed this time. I couldn't even reach my Pokeballs due to my arms being clamped to my sides. I still squirmed though; no way was I making this easier for them!

"Stupid girl you can't get out of Ivysaur's vines." The Rocket woman sneered, her nose turning up to resemble a pig. I felt a wave of distaste for her hit me instantly. At the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the Monferno on the ground still. That made me angrier. None of them seemed to be paying any attention to the Fire Pokemon or me for that matter; they all huddled together and began to whisper furiously between them.

"Saur!" The Pokemon growled, his vines constricting more. A sudden pop seemed to catch everyone's attention as they turned to face me. One of my Pokeballs had burst open of its own accord. I inwardly groaned, _'Oh Kreuz, not now!'_

"Char!" Flare snarled before shooting a jet of Embers at the vines. They sizzled and burnt like dried leaves and were immediately retracted back to Ivysaur, who howled in pain. My arms then rubbed the sore spots where the vines had been squeezing. Bloody Team Rocket.

"Thank you, Flare." I panted, standing behind my starter Pokemon. He huffed a puff of smoke in response before growling and snapping at the Rocket team.

"Stupid brat," the woman hissed, "I thought the Executive told you you're part of Team Rocket now. There's no negotiating kid."

"Really, 'cause I think my Charmeleon has something to say about that." I huffed while Flare's tail swung around in agitation. I really couldn't be bothered fighting anymore.

"Croconaw, Water Gun!" another grunt called, the blue crocodile bellowing a jet of water straight at Flare. He roared in pain as the water splashed him.

"Flare, Scratch!" we countered, Charmeleon charging forward with his claws swiping the air in a challenge.

"How pathetic, Servine use Vine Whip." One of the women snorted. The Unova Pokemon unleashed vines of its own with a hiss that wrapped around his arms, preventing them from moving. He growled and snapped at the vines but was unable to reach them.

"Cheat! You're all ganging up on him!" I accused, pointing a finger at them.

"Pfft, of course," the woman stated as if this was normal, "you didn't expect Team Rocket to play fair, did you?" she laughed, finding merriment at my prediction; much to my annoyance.

"Servine, enough playing around, throw it back to itss trainer!" She called. Servine then smirked, its vines lifting Flare into the air before he was swung around and released the vines hold, making him slam into me. The air in my lungs was squeezed out as he slammed into my front, knocking us both to the ground. I groaned when my head smacked into the rough dusty floor beneath us, his weight crushing my ribcage.

"Croconaw, give them a Water Gun!" the butch man laughed. The Blue Pokemon threw its jaws open, thick streams of water burst forth. I wrapped my arms around Flare and twisted around, even though he was unconscious, to try and absorb some of the blow even though it was going to sting like Hell even if it was water.

I cried out as the icy stream hit my back, the impact reminding me of painful pins and needles stabbing me through my shirt. I squeezed my eyes shut as the stream died away, the throbbing aching still present in my back, making it blissfully numb. Oh Arceus, I was really in trouble now, all my Pokemon were unconscious.

"So," the woman resorted, her head held high as she approached, knowing I was defenceless, "what'll it be? You joining or d'ya need some more persuasion?"

I turned around enough to see her blurrily swim into my vision. If I passed out now, that was it. I hugged Flare tighter and ignored the woman.

"Hmm… that's the way it's gonna be then? Croconaw, teach her some manners about talking Rocket members. Give her another Water Gun." The man grunted, his arms coming to fold across him chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat, I'd get knocked out if that hit but I couldn't find the strength to stand up anymore, let alone move much. I muttered an apology to Flare as I cracked my eyes open to see the jet of water shoot forward toward us.

"Jolt! Jolt!" A high pitched voice cried out before a yellow blur stood in front of me. It looked like a dog but its fur spiked out in sharp angles, a collar of snowy fur surrounded its neck while two long ears stood erect on its head. Its fur bristled then charged into many sparks that created a whip of lightning that shot off straight into the Croconaw's Water Gun, splitting through the water to cause a critical hit to the Water crocodile. It roared in pain before collapsing backward; knocked out.

I stared up in amazement where did that come from? The women with the Grass Pokemon ordered Razor Leaf and Leaf Storm. The Servine hissed before becoming immersed in a whirlwind of leaves that shot upward in an arc. The Ivysaur released hundreds of leaves that darted forward.

I was then alerted to voices behind me and thudding steps. A young man with curly brown hair, wearing a white shirt and brown pants darted past to stand by the yellow dog. He called out a Pin Missile to Jolteon. The Jolteon, as I heard, growled before shooting needle like pin pricks from its fur, each needle darting in a different direction and acting as a safeguard against the offending leaves.

At this point, warm hands came to grasp onto my shoulders, holding me steady as I began to waver from my sitting position. I looked over my shoulder to see green eyes. _'Gary…'_.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" He frantically whispered, his fingers squeezing, "Messing with Team Rocket? Alone? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he fretted, his green eyes narrowing with each word.

"Wartortle!" A gruff grunt sounded just behind him. I craned my neck to see not Squirtle but a Wartortle! My blue eyes widened at the sight of him; taller, darker and a lot more powerful than Squirtle. Although, Gary had a gift that each of his Pokemon were unusually strong anyway…

"Heh… what took you so long?" I muttered, my eyes closing to lean back against him while I returned Flare in his Pokeball. My head was really killing me from before. I felt his hands tighten and footsteps approach. "My head hurts."

"Hey, is she alright?" A light voice asked soft padded steps could be heard next to it; the Jolteon I assumed.

"I…I don't know. I think she hit her head." Gary murmured, his hands creeping up to lightly brush against the back of my head. A pause. "Where's Team Rocket?"

"It's alright, we took care of it. They threw a smoke bomb down, they're probably half way across the region by now. I'm terribly sorry I couldn't get all four of them."

"Ganging up on her… cowards." Gary hissed. My eyes opened again, managing a smile at the young man in thanks. His Jolteon was really snazzy, I'd have to look at it with the Pokédex when I got the chance. "How d'ya feel?" Gary asked.

"I'm alright, I'll live." I smiled, moving to stand up with Gary. Wartortle patted my leg before grinning at me from the floor.

"We can go back to my cottage; it's not far from here. I'm Bill by the way; it's a pleasure to meet you. I have a healing machine that can fix your Pokemon up in an instant." The man stated before leading us through the grass and bushes, his Jolteon leading ahead. I took a breath and followed, Wartortle and Gary on either side of me. I was kinda glad he hadn't brought up that argument we had back at Mt. Moon; it was really embarrassing.

We continued on until we came to Bill's house. It really was a beautiful sight; the cottage was surrounded by grass, ponds and over the fence was the sea. The vast ocean gently sloshed against the small cliff we were on. Bill then unlocked the door and led everyone inside. I was puzzled by the big machinery at the back; they looked like teleporters or transfer machines. He asked to have my Pokeballs to put them in a healing machine he had.

We sat down on the couch, Gary seating himself next to me. Bill sat opposite on a chair, his Jolteon lying down by his feet. It was really silent and tense for a while til Bill broke it again.

"So how do you two know each other?" He grinned, his eyes darting expectantly between us.

"We come from the same town," Gary grunted, his arms folding across his lap, "we picked our starter Pokemon a few days ago." Ack, this was awkward, he's still sore about the fight we had.

"So… what do you do Bill? I like your Jolteon." I smiled, looking down at the spiked dog.

"Me? I'm a Pokemon maniac!" he grinned, happy about being able to proudly express his occupation, "I collect and study rare Pokemon from all over! I invented the Pokemon computer system too."

This peaked my interest; the guy collected _rare_ Pokemon so maybe he had some information about my Riolu? The Pokemon computer systems also allowed users to keep their Pokeballs stored in individual PC accounts when they're not being used although I could have just sent them to Professor Oak.

"_Rare_ Pokemon huh? Do you think you could give me some advice?" I asked, leaning forward a little.

"Of course, of course! What Pokemon do you need it on? Your Charmeleon?"

"No, no I'll go and show you... is it okay to err… you know…" I gestured to the healing machine.

"Huh? Oh yes! They should all be fine by now, my machines work fast!" I nodded and made my way over. Bill seemed like a really nice person and I really hoped he could give me some advice on Kreuz. I picked up Kreuz's Pokeball and walked back over. I didn't bother sitting back down as I released her.

She growled at everyone upon coming out as usual before moodily sitting on the windowsill, crossing her arms and legs. Bill stood still for a few moments before walking over and observing.

"Brilliant! Amazing! I've never seen a Pokemon like this before!" I gawked at him like he'd grown another head. A Pokemon expert knew nothing about her? What the heck was I going to do about her now? "Well of course I've _seen_ a Riolu before but I've never studied one up close! She seems like a fine Pokemon, I don't really see a problem."

Well that didn't make me feel as bad but it still didn't help much. "Well… the problem is more of uh… her _attitude_ toward me." I mumbled out, aware of Gary's staring. Bill cocked his head to the side, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I see, I see. I don't think this is specifically related to your Riolu. You see, like people, Pokemon have all different personalities. I'd imagine something had happened to your Riolu in the past, but this certainly isn't the first time a Pokemon hasn't liked its trainer. I'm sure it'll warm up to you eventually, you just have to be patient." He replied, his hands resting on his knees in front of him. "Although… the real problem with that is Riolu evolve when they feel a high amount of affection for their trainers." He added. I felt my resolve internally break in half.

Based on affection? Great Arceus, she'll never evolve! She was already quite strong but if she _evolved_ she'd be even better! As if sensing my saddened expression, Bill rose from his seat to shuffle around in his computer desks, clicking objects around. He returned with a single Pokeball in hand before resuming his seat opposite us.

"Do you know what this is, Jaden?" He questioned, turning the Pokeball in his hands. I noticed how Gary hadn't spoken since we got in the cottage but I didn't say anything.

"A Pokeball..?" I hesitated as if it was a trick question.

"Yes, it was given to me by a Professor in the Unova region not too long ago; we've recently established contact again with them since the giant electrical storms," He continued, "uhh.. anyway, in this Pokeball is quite a rare Pokemon; it's called a Zoroark. It has a special ability that allows it to morph illusions that make it take the form of other Pokemon."

"That's amazing Bill but I don't get what that's got to do with me..?"

"Oh yes! I am rambling, aren't I? Anyway, when I first received it, we had a terrible relationship! Scratch and Bite marks all over me for months!" he continued and I couldn't help but imagine the time when Kreuz had attacked me, "But even though I was suffering dreadfully, I still cared for it like any of my other Pokemon and eventually, we came to be close friends." He finished, releasing the Pokemon inside. A tall, grey Pokemon stood before us, its height towering over everyone. A huge, thick red mane crawled around its neck and fell behind its back in a clump, a bead tying the tip together. Its crimson claws on its hands and feet stood out against the creamy carpet. Its green eyes fixed upon us.

"Whoa, that's such an awesome Pokemon, Bill!" Gary commented, standing up to get a better look. "I bet it's strong, huh?"

"You bet!" Bill grinned back, "I'd give you a battle now Gary but I'll wait til you've had more experience. Besides, I wanna see what you do with that Eevee I gave you."

"Huh? Did I miss something? Since when have you had an Eevee, Gary?"

"Humph, you would have known if you hadn't ran off at Mt. Moon. A lot has happened since you left." He muttered; his bad mood evident in his tone that just made me want to curl up and die of the shame. Sensing the growing amount of awkwardness in the room, Bill filled in.

"He came here and I had an Eevee to spare for my good friend. I have each of the Eeveelutions so I didn't really _need_ another Eevee. Gary mentioned he wanted to raise an Umbreon before too." I remembered Gary and Vicki talking about that. The feeling of being a nobody started to bubble up in my stomach again; Gary must have had contacts and friends from all different regions due to his Grandpa's fame. And where did that leave me? Gary has always been my only friend and he totally hates me right now because I ditched him because we disagreed on one little thing. I angrily shook my head to clear these thoughts but I failed to listen to what Bill had been saying during my depressive thinking.

"..Oh you don't want it?" He sounded surprised as he held out another Pokeball out to _me._

"Uh… what?" I blinked.

"You'll have to excuse her, Bill, she was dropped on her head as a child." Gary interrupted, but the playfulness in his voice gone.

"I said, would you like a Pokemon? Any friend of Garys is a friend of mine. My lab's sort of… overflowing with Pokemon and I've actually thought of having a give-away at the trading union the next time there's one in Kanto." He grinned, Garys comment lost, "My Zoroark had an egg that hatched. However, he's a bit of a troublemaker… my poor lab equipment…" he frowned; lost in a memory.

I almost started to tear-up right then and there. I had never met Bill before in my life, but he was so… _kind. _He had no idea who I was but he was willing to give a new Pokemon to me? I said nothing for a few minutes, thoughts rolling around in my head.

"It seems you'll have to stay with me a bit longer, my friend." He murmured to his Pokeball with affection.

"N-No! I'll take it!" I spluttered, realising what he was actually talking about. I practically snatched it from his hands, cradling it like it was made of glass.

"You sure, Bill? She's not exactly the best at raising Pokemon." Gary cut in again with his stinging words. I had to bite my tongue to keep it from getting into an argument.

"Nonsense, Gary I'm sure she'll be fine. I can't give you an Eevee and just leave your friend with nothing, can I?" Gary said nothing to this.

I clicked the button on the Pokeball, releasing a small grey fox-like creature. The paws were decorated red to match the tip of the tuft of fur on the head. The eyes were an icy blue as it blinked up at us. It was so cute; it had me smiling in seconds, Gary's comments forgotten.

"This is my Zoroark's son, a Zorua. He's quite young so I think he'll be around the same level as the rest of your team." Bill smiled.

"Bill I don't even know what to say… this is amazing." I stammered, my eyes locked onto the Zorua. "I think I'll call you Atton."

"A _thank you_ would suffice." Gary muttered under his breath, loud enough for me to hear. I scowled back but said nothing. My Pokeballs popped open to reveal Flare and Shockwave; as good as new. Flare merrily growled before nuzzling my side with his nose, glad to see I was alright. I rubbed the top of his head, our blue eyes speaking a silent conversation. Shockwave climbed up my back to rest on my shoulder, his ears twitching in happiness. I was so relieved to see them both alright, especially my Pikachu with that nasty burn he had before.

"So the Gym in Cerulean's a water type one, huh?" I asked. Gary quirked up at that too, I imagined he hadn't been to the gym yet either.

"Oh yes! Misty usually fights with a double battle. But you didn't hear that from me." He winked at both of us.

Wartortle had shifted off the couch to go and speak to Charmeleon, both of them greeting the other like old friends. Shockwave jumped down to sniff eagerly at the Zorua. The Dark Pokemon seemed to smirk before its appearance blurred into an exact copy of a Pikachu; the only difference were that the eyes still shone blue. Shockwave took a startled step backward, his own brown eyes blinking rapidly as if to be rid of the illusion.

I couldn't help snicker at the Zorua, its ability truly was amazing. The blue eyes would probably fix its self with time when it merged into an illusion but it was handy and amusing for now.

During all the talking, none of us had noticed Kreuz moving from the windowsill to stand in front of Zoroark; growls emitting from both Pokemon. Zoroark then turned toward Bill and uttered a softer growling noise.

"Jaden, I believe Kreuz would like to have a battle." Bill stated, his eyes locking with Zoroark's.

"Huh? What? How do you know?"

"Zoroark have a secondary ability that allows them to use telepathy, so they can speak to you in your head with thoughts. But it only stretches to one person, usually the trainer, and that's me." Bill grinned before continuing, "But anyway, I'm rambling again aren't I? I'm terribly sorry! Yes! I believe she would like a battle with a strong Pokemon."

"Ha! She should have a battle with me then." Gary gloated, his usual mocking smirk back in place. His Wartortle jumped off the couch, eager to battle with its trainer. A small pang hit me of how different it was from the frightened little Squirtle.

"No, I think we'll leave it for now." I muttered, my mind going back to before when she got beat by Team Rocket. That was a heavy hit after all and she didn't look bad now but she did need to rest a bit longer; they all did. She turned toward me and hissed angrily in annoyance for denying her.

"Well I didn't expect anything less. Always were afraid to battle me, weren't you?" Gary snickered, Kreuz glaring from one person to the next.

"_Fine! _If that's what she wants then I'm all for it!" I huffed, bending down to scoop Atton, my new Zorua, up and then returning it to his Pokeball; I'd have to have a proper look at him later on. Bill handed me the rest of my Pokeballs and clipped them onto my belt before we headed outside. He continued to comment on how calm the Zorua was and how he was usually nothing but a pain; always being sneaky and causing chaos.

After we'd all piled outside, Kreuz stood in front of me growling as usual, Flare took his place faithfully by my side. Gary was on the other end of the garden, small ponds littered around with his Wartortle in front. Jolteon, Shockwave and Zoroark stood either side of Bill as they played the spectators at the side.

"I hope you don't think I'm going easy on you. You're gonna get creamed." Gary smirked, his mocking tone just making me even angrier.

"Oh shut _up!_ Just get on with it!" I bit back, sick of his tormenting.

"Wartortle, Bubble." As soon as the command was issued, big bright bubbles spewed forth, racing toward us. "Follow it with a Water Gun!" Gary ordered, the faster gushing of the water gun pushing the bubbles forward; making them gain more power and speed. They both struck Kreuz unawares, knocking her flat on her back.

"Hey, give us a minute!" I called, my hands curling into fists.

"You don't have a minute in battles; Wartortle, Water Gun." Gary smirked back.

"Kreuz, give him a Drain Punch!" I called back. Kreuz was on her feet in an instant, running toward the turtle while sidestepping the water. Her fist shot forward to smash into Wartortle, the blow forcing him to step back a few steps while the contact drained his energy.

"Huh, she's fast but so are we," Wartortle withdrew inside its shell, "Rapid Spin!" The shell then span in circles, gaining power before launching toward Kreuz, catching her in the stomach and sending her backward again. She then shakily stood up, bruises now evident as her fur became dusty and ruffled.

"Low Kick!" I shouted but Kreuz's arm shot forward, a Force Palm powering up.

"Quick, Withdraw!" Gary countered, making the water Pokemon tuck its self back into the thick shell. The Force Palm appearing a little bit too late, only being effective in knocking the shell backward where Wartortle emerged unharmed. "Bubble then Rapid Spin!"

"Dodge it, Kreuz!" I frantically called. Although, as usual, she had other ideas. Instead, she darted forward but was halted by the assaulting bubbles; each one that made contact caused continuing damage. Immobilized by the bubbles, Wartortle was free to use its shell to carve a pathway that smacked straight into Kreuz; the bubbles masking the location of the shell. Kreuz then fell to the ground again; defeated. I sighed and then recalled her to her Pokeball. I then heard footsteps walk toward me.

"Go on and gloat, do it now while I'm listening for once." I hissed in irritation as I stared at the ground. Flare lightly growled but made no other movements.

"My friend, that was a fabulous battle," Bill praised, bending down so we were the same level. Shockwave hopped over to his side, patting my leg with his paw. "I can see why you like your Riolu, she's quite the fighter. You should try and take on Misty in the Cerulean Gym back in town with her. You'd prove one Hell of a force if you can get Kreuz to listen to you." I nodded in thanks, recalling Shockwave to his Pokeball but I left Flare out.

"Better luck next time Jadey, I guess you're still not good enough to beat me." Gary called, his Wartortle grunting in agreement. I knew evolution could change Pokemon but he was totally different to Squirtle. Flare stepped in front of the turtle, himself still being a whole head taller before his wrist flicked out to push the Wartortle backward so he landed square on his back; the shell not allowing him to get back up while he struggled, his arms waving frantically. Flare gave a proud puff of smoke and I didn't bother to correct him, at least my Pokemon still had faith in me.

"Hmm, that Ivysaur that Team Rocket had was actually the Bulbasaur from the Professors lab," I mentally cheered at the look of surprise on his face, "guess you didn't know _that_ huh smartarse?" His face melted into a scowl and he opened his mouth to protest.

"Guys, guys please!" Bill called, his hands pushing Wartortle back straight before Gary could speak. The turtle made a lunge for Flare but Bill pulled him back again. "Could we save the domestics for later on, please?" His Zoroark growling in agreement as he towered over all of us.

"Well I'm going to challenge Misty, talk to you later Bill." I waved, quickly side stepping everyone with Flare following on behind. I faintly heard Bill say something along the lines of 'Was that really necessary Gary?' but the rest of the conversation was lost to me.

My thoughts rolled around to Misty as we started walking across the planks that built up the bridge. I had heard she was a Water Type expert. _'Flare wouldn't be much use there… Shockwave'd be my strong point. Zorua was a Dark type so that's pretty even. Kreuz would be good too but she doesn't even listen to me.'_ I pondered what the field would be like; it wouldn't be _just_ water, would it? She must have floats or something for non-water and flying types.

My gaze turned to the side of the bridge as we walked back across. There was a shallow part with floating logs not too far from here. I grinned; this would be perfect for training for the gym.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X

**A/N: I was going to time skip the training but ending the chapter seemed like a better way to do it. Especially since you've all been so awesome in waiting so long! ****Sorry if the Zorua part seemed really random, I seriously couldn't think of another way to get one! It's explained how Gary got his Eevee too. Isn't Bill a sweetheart? And a big thank you to everyone who's reviewed/subscribed and favourited this story; I love you all! 3 This chapter hasn't been proof read yet so please ignore any mistakes, I'll work on fixing them as early as possible! I'll try and update soon!**


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